Youth empowerment indaba held in Rehoboth

Business Box Namibia hosted an entrepreneurship enhancement conference in Rehoboth last week, headlined by deputy minister of youth Emma Kantema-Gaomas.Kantema-Gaomas underscored the pivotal role of youth in entrepreneurship at the event, emphasising the ministry&#039;s commitment to fostering their development.She highlighted initiatives within the National Youth Policy aimed at facilitating access to finance and markets crucial for nurturing youth-led businesses in a competitive landscape.Echoing these sentiments, Rehoboth mayor Amanda Groenewaldt advocated for equitable policies and subsidies to empower local businesses against foreign competition.“What our local economy and local business people need are equitable protectionist policies and adequate subsidisation to be able to compete fairly because the competition from foreign direct investors (FDIs) is fierce," the mayor said. She encouraged youth entrepreneurs to capitalise on available opportunities for economic growth, urging proactive engagement and utilisation of platforms."It&#039;s up to you as entrepreneurs to actively engage, capitalise on opportunities, explore, and grab the available platforms towards economic growth."Organise proactively Rehoboth councillor Jacky lKhariseb, responsible for youth development, sports,and land allocation, stressed the need for an enabling environment.He outlined strategic opportunities in Rehoboth, including expanding accommodation facilities to support major sports games and fostering tourism potential at the Acacia Forest Park.lKhariseb pointed out the Agri Plots initiative, under which they are earmarking hectares for youth-driven agricultural ventures.He also proposed a charcoal project utilising local resources, aimed at tackling high youth unemployment by leveraging Rehoboth&#039;s natural assets.He urged Namibian youth to seize these opportunities, organise themselves effectively and actively pursue permits and projects that would maximise their socio-economic impact. “From the plots on offer, four of the one-hectare plots will be offered specifically and deliberately to young people. There are a lot of deadwood or broken down trees that enterprising youth can make use of to make charcoal, so let&#039;s work with what we have," he said.He said there are resources in Rehoboth that can be used to arrest the high unemployment among youth.jemima@namibiansun.com

Youth empowerment indaba held in Rehoboth

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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Youth empowerment indaba held in Rehoboth

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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