Debswana pumps P4 million into the textile industry

Kabelo Adamson

Diamond Mining Company, Debswana has unveiled one of its flagship projects, the Textile Accelerator Program.

The project which is funded along with other stakeholders, including Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and Tokafala Enterprise Development Program, aims to expand the country’s textile industry.

Debswana has pumped P4 million into the program which is also set to uplift the local Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs).

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“This commitment must be lauded as a sterling example of good corporate citizenship that must be emulated across the private sector,” Mmusi Kgafela, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry said when launching the programme on Wednesday.

Kgafela said key to the envisaged growth is the opening up of markets to Botswana citizen-owned SMMEs, including those owned and operated by women, girls, people with disabilities and the youth.

“Tokafala also focuses on capacity building for existing business enterprises through the provision of business advisory, business monitoring and necessary mentorship services in order to augment SMMEs’ production capacity and growth strategies,” said the trade minister.

He noted that this then allows the beneficiary business entities to meet market demands, carve their own niche and secure long term contracts, not only as suppliers to Debswana, but also to the entire country and beyond its borders

The minister encouraged and advised the local SMMEs to think global in terms of their long term goals.

Under the project, 34 beneficiaries made of producers from the Debswana, host communities and across the country, have been selected to benefit under the tripartite partnership.

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These enterprises have been selected from manufacturing, branding and embroidery mostly from vulnerable and disadvantaged populations like women, youth and people living with disabilities.

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