Swazi Observer

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SMES WARNED ON GREED, CORRUPTION

By Bongiwe Dlamini | 2019-09-17

The need for SME owners to know the repercussions of greed and corruption in the business sector is vital if they want to have successful enterprises.

This was said by Anti-Corruption Commission’s Mandla Dlamini during the closing of a workshop for 25 entrepreneurs hosted by the Small Enterprise Development Company (SEDCO) on Friday.

The 20 participants of the week long workshop included 10 female farmers and 10 youth entrepreneurs, who are last year’s top 10 from two categories of the Women Farmer Foundation competition, while the rest were individual entrepreneurs who took advantage of the opportunity to be trained.

Some of the areas of training included record keeping, marketing, cost accounting and drafting business plans, to mention a few.

Dlamini said the main contributor to the downfall of most SMEs was lack of innovation, market research and diversification by small and medium business people.

He said with a lot of entrepreneurs selling almost the same products and services, average entrepreneurs would give up on the ground that there would be no markets as the supply would be exceeding the demand.

However, with new ideas that would entice a different market of the goods and services provided, Dlamini said one would make it.

expectations

“Keep up with the times to ensure that the target market’s needs and expectations are met,’’ Dlamini said.

He alluded that the root of corruption was greed among business people in that the most established ones who are supplied by small and upcoming businesses, the former usually delays disbursing for goods delivered.

He said this often resulted in the interruption of the production and supplying cycle, which led to small business being forced out of business.

Meanwhile SEDCO’s Samkelo Lushaba said the relationship between his organisation and the Women Farmer Foundation was a long standing one ever since they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the sole purpose of assisting women farmers who have been identified by the Foundation.

Lushaba, who represented the Managing Director Darrington Matiwane, said they shared the same goal of helping SMEs develop into fully fledged businesses.

After making it to the top 10 female business owners, Lushaba said SEDCO wanted to assist in training these so that they could have the skills required for one to efficiently manage their businesses.

With the knowledge that was imparted to the participants, Lushaba expressed optimism that the entrepreneurs would use their newly acquired skills to take their businesses to the next level.

“Now that the workshop is over, it does not mean that should any of you need our assistance again they cannot be helped.

Our hands are always open to aid you drive your businesses to greatness,’’ he stated.

improved

In addition, Lushaba said the survival and growth of SMEs could result to an improved economy therefore, encouraged the participants to strive to grow businesses that would in turn create job opportunities for a lot of unemployed people. On behalf of the Women Farmer Foundation was Stanley Dlamini who appreciated the healthy working relationship that the foundation had with SEDCO.

He said for years, the two entities had collaborated in projects that saw a number of the foundation’s members being equipped with skills that the foundation might have not afforded to avail on its own.

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