Gaborone — The impending leather gloving project aimed at manufacturing of industrial personal protective equipment for local market will boost 15 Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) local manufacturing companies with technical and business skills.
This was said by deputy permanent secretary for cluster and value chain development in the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Mr Mbakiso Morapedi at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), joint action Support towards Industrialisation and the Productive Sectors (SIPS), Botswana Chamber of Mines, The Ministry of Agriculture and EU-SADC economic partnership agreement.
Mr Morapedi explained that through the partnership, beneficiaries would be trained for nine months on technical training, business skills and mentorship programmes at the Gaborone Leather Industry Incubator situated at the LEA offices.
"This approach is meant to ensure that the graduates from this training are well rounded and ready to deliver what the market requires," he said.
He acknowledged the key roles to be played by different partners, saying LEA would provide a secure training facility including the utilities during the project duration as well as overall project oversight.
He added that SIPS joint action would support the gloving project partnership by supplying initial training equipment and required training materials and engaging consultants to conduct a market feasibility study before project inception.
The European Union, he said would actively support the project technical steering committee and host inception workshop for the gloving project.
"EU will also assist in providing resources and technical assistance when needed in the project implementation," he added.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture would support the evaluation and selection of the manufacturing companies to participate in the gloving project.
Botswana Chamber of Mines, he said would mobilise and recommend to its members to procure leather PPE produced locally according to industry standards, thereby providing market access to the trainee companies.
"They will also support the project partners on product specifications, labelling standards and compliance as requested by the mining sector in achieving product approval," he said.
Further, he said the project was not meant for Botswana only but would be regional and therefore promised the partners that they would do all to grow leather value chain in the SADC region.
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For his part, LEA acting chief executive officer, Mr Godfrey Molefe said the collaborative effort mirrored the path that they had set to pursue and set the tone for future partnerships with all players in the SMMEs ecosystem.
Mr Molefe said their role in the partnership was to house and provide training with production facilities at the Leather Industry Incubator as well as business development Interventions.
He also said commercial leather products manufacturing remained an infant industry in Botswana despite the country being well known as a beef producing nation with hides and skins being exported raw.
"However, through this project we hope that the leather industry will bring opportunities across the leather value chain such as of creating jobs and develop useful products that will help to reduce the import bill and dependency on imported leather products," he said.
Also, he said they aimed to create a platform for locals to participate and benefit from the Citizen Economic Inclusion Act and the Public Procurement Act in line with the government reset agenda on value chain development.
Deputy Ambassador for EU delegation to Botswana and SADC, Ms Silvia Bopp-Hamrouni said the MOU would promote innovation and competitiveness.
Ms Bopp-Hamrouni also said it was an opportunity for youth employment and would also enhance participation of leather value chain in the SADC region.
BOPA
