Windhoek
So many school leavers are expected by their families to become breadwinners. However, securing gainful employment in an environment of high youth unemployment is not guaranteed while securing a loan without adequate collateral to start a business is a major constraint for the youth.
“Not all of us can go to university and university is not for everyone. This is why we have to promote vocational training in the country,” said Dr Helena Ndume, the Namibian ophthalmologist known around the world for her work among sufferers of eye-related illnesses.
Ndume, who is one of five ambassadors for SABMiller’s Kickstart competition in Namibia that will give away N$1 million at the end of May to three Namibians with sustainable and scalable business ideas, emphasised that vocational training needs to be promoted because well-trained entrepreneurs are the backbone of any successful economy.
“Some people are very good with their hands and their talents need to be nurtured for them to become successful business people,” said Ndume.
She added that the Kickstart competition comes into play once the youth have graduated from vocational training centres in their respective career choices, such as certified electricians or plumbers. “This is when they can enter competitions like Kickstart to secure start-up capital for their business ventures,” Ndume noted.
Thus far SABMiller Namibia has received approximately 500 applications for the coveted N$1 million prize money. Kickstart is a youth entrepreneurship development programme initiated by SABMiller to create a culture of entrepreneurship among the country’s youth by promoting business awareness through business skills development, providing grants for start-ups or taking existing business or new business ideas to the next level. As one of the ambassadors for Kickstart, Ndume is tasked with providing guidance and mentorship for the duration of the business idea implementation. “By being involved in this competition I am not promoting beer.
I am involved to promote young people in the economy,” said Ndume.
The competition, for which entries close on March 31, is open to all Namibian youth between the ages of 18 and 35 years. All that is required is a business idea and a burning passion to see its success.
SABMiller’s corporate affairs officer, Maija-Lisa Prinzonsky, explained that the competition is open to all types of entrepreneurial ideas that will have a significant impact on the community in which they operate, or even the entire country. She noted that innovation and sustainability will be the main factors that will be considered in judging the business ideas. SABMiller has been running the entrepreneurial competition in markets where the company is active, such as South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and Kenya.