STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER

 

DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI

Read by the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister

AT THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST

 

AT THE SIBANE HOTEL, EZULWINI

 

ON FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2014

 

Honourable Ministers

Your Excellency Chen, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Dr Teddy Blecher, Chairperson of the South African Task Team on Entrepreneurship and Education

Ms Winile Madonsela-Kamalandua, Economist and Lecturer at UNISWA

Chairman and Members of the Junior Achievement Board of Directors

Executive Director of Junior Achievement Swaziland

Junior Achievement Programme Sponsors

Event sponsors

Captains of Industry

Junior Achievement Staff

Members of the Media

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

I was very pleased to be given the opportunity to attend yet another Junior Achievement function and equally disappointed at being unable to attend in person on this occasion.

I nevertheless wanted to address the gathering and I am grateful to be able to do so through my esteemed colleague Senator Paul Dlamini, the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister.

Let me first of all extend a very warm welcome to our eminent visitor from South Africa, Dr Teddy Blecher, who has to his credit, among many impressive initiatives, a vast amount of experience working with the South African Government, integrating entrepreneurship in that country’s schooling system.  I thank Dr Blecher for giving us his time and I do encourage our Ministries of Education and Training, and Commerce Industry and Trade to forge a strong relationship with Dr Blecher and his Task Team.  I also express our gratitude to economist and UNISWA lecturer, Ms Winnie Kamallandua, for her presentation on Swaziland’s economic outlook.

I have spoken a great deal in the past about entrepreneurship and the need to boost the entrepreneurial culture in our country.  I have talked – indeed, advocated strongly -  about the extent to which the enterprises of the future in this country are dependent on the growth of that culture, and how important it is to instill the thrill with skill of entrepreneurship experienced at an early age. And there, together with others in the vanguard of promoting entrepreneurship in Swaziland, is Junior Achievement with its three programmes in 130 high schools across the country.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have just said it all again!  In a different way, but the messages are the same.  Because all those statements continue to be relevant and, if anything, more so now than ever before.  Together with other similar initiatives, albeit for older beneficiaries – in Enactus and the Kick Start Programme – the Junior Achievement programmes have the potential to make substantial strides in changing the entrepreneurial character of our country.

We want our young people to think business and to do business from an early age.  That is precisely the characteristic of the countries that have developed substantial small and medium scale enterprise (SMME) sectors.  Because the SMME sector of a country is where most entrepreneurs will end up.  And, in the majority of countries, the output of that sector  makes up a significant proportion of national output.

We need our youth to grow up wanting to succeed as much in business as in other segments of the economy and society.  We want them to avoid thinking that the only career route open to them is to be employed by someone else.  We would like them to look energetically and creatively at what they can  produce, whether it be commercial or agricultural output or services of value.  We want our young people to analyse what the market needs, what there is that we import, but that can be made locally to a higher standard.  Swaziland needs its young innovators.  I must say that I was delighted to see Junior Achievement being a partner in the new national innovation initiative which was the subject of yesterday’s Inaugural Innovation Conference.

And our young entrepreneurs should not to be afraid of starting small.  The biggest and most magnificent oak tree started as a tiny acorn. And, above all, to recognize that, whether one is employed or self-employed, it is the propensity to work hard that lies at the root of success. 

 

That reminds me of the successful businessman taking a group of visitors on a trip round his factory to see the beautiful products that he was making, and urging them to emulate what he has achieved.  One of the visitors pipes up, “It isn’t surprising that you succeeded.  You are evidently so clever.”

 

The businessman replies, “Yes, and the harder I worked, the more clever I got.”

 

Junior Achievement has its programmes and has planned expenditure within those programmes but insufficient funds  to finance them.  The donor is thus presented with a straightforward, no-effort way of expressing generosity.  Whatever is pledged today in that form will be much appreciated by Junior Achievement and the beneficiaries who, let us not forget, include the wider economy and Swazi society in general.  I take this opportunity to express the deep gratitude of His Majesty’s Government not only to the donors of today but especially to those sponsors who have consistently supported Junior Achievement from its inception.

 

And while Government is keen to encourage donations to worthy programmes such as Junior Achievement, we should also explore opportunities to broaden the appeal for sponsorship.  Just as companies sponsor sporting and other events in which the winner or group of winners are rewarded, in the same way they can apply their generosity to sponsoring competition in the production of goods, the design of services, especially in the tourism industry, or the growth of fruits and vegetables.  And especially focusing on the youth!  They are the future of our economy and our society.

 

We have recently seen the results of various agricultural competitions launched by Government in collaboration with the private sector.  On behalf of His Majesty’s Government I thank those sponsors, at the same time as congratulating the winners.  I noticed that Nompendulo Manana of Nyakeni Chiefdom won the Youth Category of the Woman Farmer of the Year Competition.   I say well done, Nompendulo!  And I urge all our young people see her as a role model in business.  Farming is deep in our history and our culture and will continue to be the backbone of our economy.  It needs more young people.  Let me assure our youth that they can still do their Whatsapps and listen to their iPods while cultivating spices and baby vegetables for the international market.

We are all part of the same economy, all with something to gain from faster economic growth.  Competition breeds drive and ingenuity.  Just look at the outcome of the Design, Create, Innovate Competition held by the new Innovators Association of Swaziland.  That event produced some excellent ideas from our own young innovators.    

 

There is an old saying which remains valid through every century of civilized life.  And that is necessity is the mother of invention.  The Inhlanyelo Fund, a successful revolving fund launched and funded for SMMEs by one of our great benefactors, Natie Kirsh, reports that the average borrower is a 55 year old woman and these gogos in aggregate achieve a very high repayment rate.  The HIV and AIDS pandemic has so devastated our country that these older ladies, at an age when they should be resting, have found the energy and resourcefulness to start successful small and micro-scale businesses in order to feed and clothe the additional children under their responsibility.  That is impressive! We congratulate them all!  

 

We want our young people to feel the same sense of urgency and drive to be entrepreneurs, but without the heavy personal responsibilities of the gogos of our society.

 

The fundamental responsibility of Government in assisting the rapid growth of the economy is to provide the most conducive environment for the investor.  Meeting our Investor Roadmap targets is our preoccupation and must include facilitating improved access to affordable finance for SMMEs and access to the domestic and global supply chains.  A skilful and diversified entrepreneurial base will enrich that business environment. And it is pleasing that the same private sector is the one demonstrating its wisdom and generosity by providing financial support to Junior Achievement.  Government really appreciates that.

 

The student companies formed within Junior Achievement have shown creativity and resourcefulness, with products ranging from liquid organic fertilizer to soap, polish and candle blowers.  And that is just the recent products.  Earlier student companies under Junior Achievement have brought victory for Swaziland in the international arena.  A number of companies have sold to retailers.  Government encourages those young entrepreneurs to take the enthusiasm, skills and experience into entrepreneurial ventures in adulthood.

 

On behalf of His Majesty’s Government I thank you all – sponsors, Junior Achievement Board, Management, mentors and students - for the commitment you are showing to the growth of entrepreneurship in our country.

 

Thank you.