Niël Terblanché
Namibia’s leading digital innovation company, MTC, has reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment with the continuation of its MTC 4Life programme.
The Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative aims to equip young Namibians with practical business and entrepreneurial skills to establish or expand their small and medium enterprises, ultimately helping to reduce unemployment.
The initiative announced on Tuesday will provide 40 young entrepreneurs with a two-week training programme in various trades, including barbering, brick manufacturing, animation, carpentry, hairstyling, electricity and solar installation, upholstery, and welding.
The training will be facilitated by qualified Namibian professionals. Upon completion, participants will receive a start-up toolkit and N$5 000 in seed capital to help kickstart their businesses.
This year’s programme will focus on youth from the Erongo, Hardap, Omaheke, and Zambezi regions. Addressing concerns about the regional selection, MTC Corporate Communications Practitioner Erasmus Nekundi explained that the initiative follows a phased approach.
“Since last year, we have adopted a targeted approach of tackling a few regions at a time. This strategy ensures effective programme implementation and measurable impact. Last year, we covered Omusati, Kavango East and West, Kunene, and Otjozondjupa, and now we are continuing with new regions that have not yet benefitted,” he said.
Nekundi reiterated MTC’s dedication to social and economic development, stating that the company is committed to reducing youth unemployment through its CSI initiatives.
“We have embedded in our business practice a culture of meaningfully contributing to our country’s social and economic development. Through initiatives such as MTC 4Life, we aim to equip young people with the necessary skills and capital to start and grow their own businesses,” he said.
Nekundi also announced that interested candidates have until 27 February 2025 to submit their applications.
More details about the application process are available on MTC’s website and social media platforms.
