Africa-Press – Eswatini. Empowering the youth through entrepreneurship!
‘That is the general sentiment after at least 220 young people attended and participated in deliberations and discussions presented by industry captains across various sectors at the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund’s (YERF) Umliba Youth Entrepreneurship Conference. It was held at The George Hotel in Manzini on Friday, November 17, 2023. The first edition of the conference was supported by FNB and DesireLine through sponsorship. Worth mentioning is that the conference was held during the Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 13 – 19, 2023). According to YERF, the aim of the conference was to foster an entrepreneurial culture and mindset shift among the youth. Theo Baloyi, Bathu Sneakers founder, was the keynote speaker at the event and he made an impactful presentation, detailing his entrepreneurship journey and motivating the attendees on how to be successful in business.
Discussions
Other presentations during the conference came from industry experts in various reputable institutions. The youth were afforded an opportunity to have a direct interaction with these experts as they asked many business-related questions. The conference was also graced by YERF Board members who handed over certificates to the fund’s beneficiaries who are consistent and compliant to their loan agreements. When delivering his address, YERF CEO Mandla Nkambule, emphasised the importance of attending such events, especially as a young person starting out a business. Nkambule also encouraged other aspiring entrepreneurs to utilise such opportunities “Since this was the first edition, we are looking forward to the next one, which will be held next year same time and we hope that it will be bigger and better,” Nkambule said. The CEO went on to thank the sponsors who contributed to the success of the event and encouraged the youth to take advantage of the fund, commit to their businesses so they employ other youth, and enjoy success in their various business pursuits and hence repay their business loans.
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