MBABANE – The Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) has partnered with Maloma Colliery Ltd to conduct entrepreneurship awareness training to 300 tertiary graduates from the Shiselweni Region.
The tertiary graduates who received the training are those that majored in commerce, marketing and agriculture at most.
The training began on Tuesday and was conducted at eight tinkhundla areas in the Shiselweni Region, namely; Ngudzeni, Sithobela, Lubulini, Sigwe, Matsanjeni, Somntongo, Ndunaythini and Ntutwakazi. SEDCO’s Stakeholder Relations Specialist, Mxolisi Dlamini said the partnership aims to assist these communities in creating and developing sustainable enterprises, especially among women and youth groups.
He said it also aims to provide various services to Maloma Colliery Limited.
Dlamini also pointed out that the partnership aims to assist these communities in creating and developing sustainable enterprises.
“We intend to create and promote companies created by women and the youth that will be added to Maloma’s vendor list and provide quality products and services, in turn develop their communities,” he said.
He added that the lack of entrepreneurial capacity is one of the major challenges for prospective MSMEs.
“While future businesses may have the technical skills for production, acquired from various tertiary institutions, it is important that they also invest in business development training in order to effectively operationalise their enterprises,” he said.
Dlamini further mentioned that the partnership was part of Maloma Colliery’s community involvement programme.
He said the company invests about 2.5 per cent of its net profit through its corporate social investment (CSI) programme into the communities they operate within. He said the CSI programme aims to deliver high impact and sustainable community development programmes such as entrepreneurship, hence the partnership with SEDCO.
Written by Mhlengi Magongo- Times of Eswatini