Tujoromajo Kasuto
Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) today launched theinaugural Know2Grow (K2G) NextGen Entrepreneurs, that will provide an annual market access andcapacity building platform for young entrepreneurs, designed to drive the development and acceleration of innovative youth-led businesses.
The event is scheduled to take place in Tsumeb on 16 to 18 November 2022 and is open to all MSME ventures across the country, owned by young Namibians between the ages of 18 and 35.
“We are very intentional about MSME Development and have various initiatives and programmes targeted at MSME support across all levels and in different sectors. This specific one is youth-focused,” said NIPDB’s Executive Director for MSME Development, Innovation and Acceleration, said Dino Ballotti.
The overall objective is to accelerate young entrepreneurs’ business ventures through exposure to potential support and business linkages.
“Through various Business Support Organisations (BSO’s) we are able to help accelerate the growth of MSMEs, while creating an enabling environment for scaling, through innovation, value addition and collaboration. We are especially excited to champion this initiative for Namibians in Namibia,” said Ballotti.
In addition to showcasing their products and services, MSMEs will have the added benefit of attending various seminars and workshops, aimed at sharing information about managing their businesses, as well as B2B retail engagements, specifically focused on enabling business owners to get their products on retail shelves.
The NIPDB is cognisant of the fact that the success of the K2G NextGen Entrepreneurs is contingent upon a collaborative effort between the private and public sector, and acknowledges the various partners that have pledged their support for the event.
These include Standard Bank Namibia as the lead sponsor, Coca Cola Namibia, ABInBev, Sanlam Namibia, Olthaver & List Group and B2Gold.
The event is also supported by Member of Parliament Patience Masua and Creative Entrepreneur, Luis Munana who will serve as the official Brand Ambassadors.
Applications are now open for exhibitors and food vendors. MSMEs in the following sectors are encouraged to apply: textile & manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture & food processing, aquaculture, electronics & ICT, renewable energy (Green Hydrogen) and pharmaceuticals.
The application forms are available on the NIPDB website (www.nipdb.com) and entries close on 21 September 2022.
As part of its mandate, the NIPDB is responsible for building institutional mechanisms to serve as the primary coordinator across all MSME development levers on a national level.
In this role, the NIPDB facilitates collaboration between the various stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of programmes that will create an enabling ecosystem for MSMEs and startups.
In delivering on this mandate, through the K2G NextGen Entrepreneurs project, the NIPDB
is creating a platform for MSMEs to showcase their business offerings, engage various industry players and create linkages with fellow young entrepreneurs.
