The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed extensive socio-economic impacts, putting millions of companies worldwide at risk of being forced out of business. The crisis has hit small businesses and their workers particularly hard. Now, they urgently need support to survive.
Many interventions are being lined up by various stakeholders who are taking extraordinary steps to minimize the negative impacts of the novel coronavirus on business operations and workers, and the Olafika SME Mentorship and Training Programme has received a N$1.8million sponsorship targeted at mentoring Namibian entrepreneurs.
The Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) is the main partner of Olafika having sponsored the programme to the tune of N$900 000 for the programme management and administration. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), the Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) within the Ministry of Urban-Rural Development (MURD), and the Twapewa Kadhikwa Institute of Entrepreneurship have partnered onto the programme by sharing the remaining N$900 000 of the budget towards Olafika system design, content formulation, course outline and the development of the mentorship framework among others.
Over a period of 10 months, 150 Namibian entrepreneurs are receiving virtual business training and one-on-one business mentorship on how to manage their businesses to survive the current Covid-19 pandemic as well as prepare for postCorona innovative business projects.
The Olafika SME Development and Mentorship Programme kicked off on July 1 2020 and will stretch until April 2021 with 150 entrepreneurs (77 male and 78 females) selected from all over Namibia.
The Olafika Class of 2020 has an eight-module e-learning course offered through a locally generated learning virtual portal (Quiversoft) and is facilitated by top experts, among them former Director of the Financial Literacy Initiative and current Deputy Director for Professionalization & Capacity Strengthened in the Ministry of Finance Francois Brandt as well as multi-award winning African entrepreneur Kennedy Liswani, founder and innovator of the Katoshe D30 mobile phone. It is the first SME e-learning and mentorship programme in Namibia. Since July mentees have been attending three virtual classes per week engaging guest lecturers, attending to practical business assignments, case studies, tests, and exams, as stipulated in the Olafika SME Mentorship course-outline. Swakopmund based entrepreneurs Heinrich Hafeni, Minister of Trade and Industry Hon Lucia Ipumbu are among some of the guest lecturers to have engaged the mentees during the virtual classes. NDTC Chief Executive Officer Mr. Brent Eiseb, highlighted the impact of the funding, “The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the African entrepreneur to adopt a mindset for the future, it is a model-mindset of economic development. A universal model that results in products and services accessible to as many people as possible. It could create this virtuous circle which promotes the availability of new efficiency tools and products for technological consumption which would in turn fuel innovation. This is what Olafika is priming. The best captains are made during the harshest of storms, we are excited to be supporting an initiative which is further reinforcing the making of the best entrepreneurs during this Covid-19 storm.” 75 mentors who are established business gurus and entrepreneurs are in the process of being identified with the support of the Local Economic Development (LED) officers through the Ministry of Rural and Urban Development (MURD) from where two Olafika mentees will be mentored and supported in their regions and local authorities while identifying investment opportunities and new ventures. The mentorship process will last for 6 months, in line with the current Covid-19 regulations, and commences at the end of the current e-learning process.
Mr. Thomas Keller, the Resident Representative of KAS in Namibia, underlined the crucial role of entrepreneurs in the economic development of a country and in particular in entrepreneurship. “By supporting entrepreneurship we at KAS aim to develop a community focused on encouraging the innovation and to facilitate the exchange of experience among Namibian businesses. Therefore, an important step in the development of entrepreneurship had been made, providing entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and practical advice towards access to finance and innovation.” The Deputy Director for LEDA, Ms. Lahja Hipondoka says the success of this programme is that all the trained entrepreneurs (mentees) benefit from the support of their local authorities’ LED officers to focus on the development of production capacity, the introduction of technologies, and innovations or the export orientation. Olafika mentee beneficiary Ms. Frazerina Fillemon who holds a Hons Degree in Marketing Management (IUM) and owns Frazerina Investment employing three people referred to the importance of the growth and development of entrepreneurial culture for the local business environment. “The knowledge and skills gained from Olafika will help us export our products. As the training is continuing I have begun to explore more innovative means to survive this Corona pandemic and the network we have established as student entrepreneurs through Olafika is not just fostering entrepreneurship but opening up new horizons of managing and developing our businesses.”
The funds have been allocated towards setting up of the e-learning process, tools, systems and assessment, programme administration and management, as well as the development of the course material and mentorship framework. The awarded funding is also intended to create or support existing mentoring matches and help to increase positive attitudes toward e-learning, the best mentees’ business will be receiving various incentives and support during the duration of the programme.
The developed Mentoring Handbook is unique in its use of private-sector support, as mentees are required to match the standards of their mentors. In addition to building the capacity of the mentoring process across the country, the funding will also enable the Olafika project to expand innovative employment creation projects and businesses in various regions with high rates of unemployment utilizing developmental, mentoring relationships.
Over the coming months, Olafika will lead various entrepreneurship thought leadership campaigns on various platforms too;
1. Shine a spotlight on the devastating impact of COVID-19 on Namibia SMEs and their employees
2. Ensure effective policy and fiscal responses at both the international and national levels towards Namibian entrepreneurs
3. Provide resources and tools to SMEs to help them navigate this economic shock
“Olafika appeals for special attention to SMEs — encouraging companies to respond with flexibility, compassion, and solidarity to the impact on SMEs and to honour current contracts to the greatest extent possible. Engagement with suppliers is essential to ensure decent working conditions in global supply chains while providing support for business continuity by allowing flexibility in delivery and quotas,” says Ms. Twapewa Kadhikwa the founder behind Olafika.
Olafika Entrepreneurship Week: (24-28August 2020)
Join special Olafika sessions hosted in collaboration with NBC and other media channels the topic of business and COVID-19 to explore policy options that Government have to support SMEs to continue operating and maintain their workforce and why their protection is vital to the successful recovery of the global economy. Attendees will also learn what multinational corporations can do to support SMEs throughout their supply chain and hear good practice examples from Namibian SME leaders.
Olafika Mentee Regional and Gender Representation
Region Female Male Total
//kharas 6 4 10
Erongo 11 7 18
Hadarp 5 2 7
Kavango West 3 3 6
Kavango East 3 4 7
Zambezi 2 1 3
Ohangwena 0 4 4
Oshana 7 7 14
Khomas 28 31 59
Omusati 3 2 5
Kunene 2 2 4
Otjizondupa 3 7 10
Oshikoto 2 3 5
Omaheke 3 0 3
Totals 78 77 155