Boost for entrepreneurs

The use of information as a tool of empowerment was evident yesterday as the City of Windhoek hosted an educational information session to empower entrepreneurs. The interactive session was hosted at the community development centre boardroom in Katutura. Fourty local entrepreneurs attended.

Additionally, the half-day session was joined by representatives from Standard Bank, the labour ministry, social security commission (SSC) and the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa). This provided a platform for the institutions to share information on funding, labour law, social security benefits and the importance of registering your business.

Institutions made use of the opportunity to engage entrepreneurs to clarify several misconceptions about business registrations, loans and social security, among other issues. “With us, your business has to be in operation for at least two years for us to be able to give you a collateral-free loan, provided that the business is doing well and other requested documents are also submitted. We are not in the business of taking houses,” Standard Bank representative Leonora Jooste said.

Additionally, SSC marketing officer Castro Tjizoo spoke about maternity leave and workplace injury procedures. “Self-employed people do not qualify for money paid to individuals that get injured at work. If a self-employed person wants to claim funds for injury at work, there is a lack of credibility, therefore they simply do not qualify,” Tjizoo said.

“I made it a point to come today so that I could learn how to better manage my business and potentially take it to new heights. Those were my expectations for today and they have been pleasantly met,” the owner of Bandeya Investments cc, Gustaf Twamoneni, said.