STATEMENT BY THE RIGHT HON. PRIME MINISTER

DR B.S.S. DLAMINI

AT THE 2015 SWAZILAND BEVERAGES KICK START AWARDS PRESENTATION

AT THE ROYAL SWAZI CONVENTION CENTRE

WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL 2015

Honourable Ministers

Honourable Members of both Houses of Parliament

Managing Director of Swaziland Beverages

Kickstart Competition Judges

Competition Finalists

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to have the opportunity to join you all for what has emerged as a significant fixture on the national calendar - the Swaziland Beverages Kick Start Competition.

Any respectable initiative that encourages, motivates and empowers our young would-be entrepreneurs to establish sustainable livelihoods is entitled to claim the defining term: “significant.” It deserves to be said, time and time again, that our youth represent the Swazi economy and society of tomorrow. It stands to reason that the higher the number of our youth that have a job, as they enter the early stages of adulthood, the more happy, cohesive and stable will be the society of tomorrow. Everyone, and not just the youth, has a great deal to gain from a much higher figure of youth employment in our country. Furthermore, within our youth lie the acknowledged characteristics of natural energy and adaptability, combined with the optimism and dynamism generated from reaching the climax of their secondary or tertiary education and anticipating the road ahead towards self-fulfilment and prosperity. They must not be disappointed. Our youth make up a vital component of the engine of economic growth. That is why we all - whether Government or private sector - have a responsibility to dedicate the maximum effort to empowering our youth towards gainful employment. We all have a part to play.

For far too long there has been a tendency to feel that the only route to career development is through being employed by an established organization, whether in the private or public sector. That is, of course, a perfectly respectable career path but, given our high level of youth unemployment, it is a mistake to limit one’s focus to that single avenue. On the other hand, one can understand that perception because it is considerably easier to seek employment from established entities which are visible, than on the many self-employment opportunities - which are not.

Setting out to make those opportunities visible, and even a reality, are some key players. A shining star in this respect is the Swaziland Beverages Kick Start Competition. We in Government, and I trust the Nation at large, greatly appreciate – indeed applaud – the strong sense of corporate social responsibility that has driven Swaziland Beverages to take its Kick Start Programme into the fifth consecutive year. The company has recognized the huge need among the youth and has been applying both human and financial resources to make its contribution to future economic growth in our country. Up until last year it had assisted 24 budding businesses, disbursing almost E1.8 million in grants, together with close support for those enterprises. This year, in recognition of the value of the Programme, Government has provided a subvention of E2 million, thus enabling Swaziland Beverages to broaden the inputs and administrative support. As a result, 60 entrants have been taken through the valuable training with a number of these, to be announced this evening, who will go through into the support phase of the Programme.

And I have to say that we like the sound of the activities of the businesses that are in the reckoning for finance and other support. These include organic fertilizer production, vegetable farming, broiler and indigenous chicken production, fashion design, and furniture design. I understand that ten of the businesses are in ICT.

And the words “ninety-two percent” also have a good feel to them because that is the percentage of past winners whose businesses are still operating, and therefore showing all the signs of being able to meet that most critically important of objectives – sustainability.

The term Kick Start has a nice punchy feel to it though it is clear that there is no punitive or violent dimension to it. In fact there is absolutely no “kicking” involved at all, either literally or even metaphorically. That is evident from its increasing popularity among our youth. This year the programme had over 500 applicants. The reputation and appeal of the initiative was already in place. The motivation is clearly also there.

Sadly, of course, the very qualities of the Kick Start programme define the only identifiable regret. The intensity and close care, that are the hallmarks of the Programme, limit the numbers that the Programme can embrace. The solution to that lies not in an amendment to Kick Start but in the need to replicate the formula to reach out to as many of our youth as possible. Having said that, Kick Start has managed to take no fewer than 60 entrants through to the final stages which is a substantial increase over earlier years

So let us reflect on the defining qualities of the Programme. Firstly, it identifies worthy and potentially viable projects. That in itself is an important strategy. Just as the producer of goods and services has no right to expect the market to buy sub-standard goods or ones that are simply not wanted, so the would-be entrepreneur should understand that the economic right to have a business idea empowered depends on it meeting the primary criterion of commercial viability.

That is also one of the fundamental strategies of the Incubator programmes that have been adopted in a number of countries of the world. The careful identification of projects, the assistance with business planning, the intensive mentoring and monitoring of performance that are enshrined in the Incubator programmes are equally conspicuous in the Kick Start programme. Government is therefore examining carefully how this configuration can be replicated across the country in a manner that is empowering and can justify not only Government financial support but also the assistance from our financial sector and a number of relevant donors.

We have an increasing number of our youth leaving high school, having received exposure to entrepreneurship through the curriculum and, especially, through the Junior Achievement Programme, the latter having taken a number of national school champions out into the global arena and beaten all-comers in international competition. In common with Kick Start it is a programme that attracts a Government subvention each year.

It is clear that we are developing the raw material in terms of human resources. Where are these alumnae going to after school? We know some go into careers in employed positions, some leave the country to go elsewhere, but a very large number stay in Swaziland and need to be brought more closely in touch with business opportunities and be given support in business planning, technical and operations management training, start-up capital and access to market. Reviewing the performance of the various initiatives currently in existence – for example the Youth Enterprise Fund – and learning from successes and failures, then preparing a blueprint that captures the Incubator concept in a similar manner to the Kick Start Programme, is a process that has started. I expect to be able to report on progress in the not too distant future.

It is my great pleasure to congratulate the winners in this year’s Kick Start Competition and to encourage the non-winners to view disappointment as something sent to make us, not to break us, as the saying goes. I must also express appreciation to the panel judges whose task has been demanding, to say the least, and I understand them to have done an excellent job.

And finally, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, I thank Swaziland Beverages for its drive, initiative and vigour in its quest to really make a difference in helping our national programme to get substantially more of our youth into sustainable livelihoods.

Thank you.