Over N$1.4 million has been sponsored by the private sector towards the hosting of the third Annual African Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (AU MSME) forum slated for 9 to 13 September 2024 in Windhoek.
Speaking at the sponsorship handover event here on Wednesday, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB)’s Executive for Talent, Innovation and Productivity Julia Muetudhana said Namibia has been selected to host the forum aimed at offering Namibian business owners a chance to engage with the continent’s agenda.
NIPDB is co-hosting the event.
Muetudhana said the forum, which will bring together over 700 delegates from all 54 African countries, will equally foster direct collaboration between the private sector and African organisations committed to advancing MSMEs in Africa.
“Hosting this event, therefore, aligns with the NIPDB mandate to develop MSMEs through various interventions, with the ultimate goal of enabling them to scale-up their businesses and contribute towards Namibia’s export basket,” she added.
Muetudhana indicated that a total of N$1 410 000 has been sponsored by six private entities, meeting government efforts halfway in hosting the summit which will bring together 300 entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors and thought leaders from Africa under the theme ‘Fostering Financial Empowerment and Educational Innovation for African Start-ups and MSMEs’.
At the same event, Hollard Head of Compliance and Public Relations Sam Kauapirura said their sponsorship of N$110 000 is aimed at supporting MSMEs, which make up 12% of Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product, noting that many MSME efforts are not insured, or are poorly-insured to support their business agenda and growth.
Bank Windhoek sponsored N$200 000, with its Head of Stakeholder Engagement Bronwyn Moody saying: “Bank Windhoek is Namibia’s only 100% commercial service provider, and the drill in our economic growth is the MSMEs sector, which has its own set of challenges to overcome.
We put a lot of pressure on this sector to produce results and stay the course on a trajectory that they themselves have put into motion, including job-creation, growing their market share and looking for trading opportunities beyond our borders. So, this is truly a remarkable event for Namibian MSMES.”
Other sponsors include the United Nations Development Programme, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Momentum Metropolitan and M&G Investments.
–Nampa