The second edition of Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) Student Start-Up investment competition, which is a partnership with Global Expo Botswana (GEB), was won by 19 year old Rethabile Moikabi, walking away with P 25 000 business start-up capital.
She was followed by Leano Lephalo who won P 15 000 and Tavonga Muchuchuti winning
P10 000 scooping second and third positions respectively. Moikabi is currently a second year student with BAC enrolled in Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. BAC student start-up investment is an investment platform on students aimed at cultivating culture of entrepreneurship for students to kick start businesses while they are still in school.
The competition grand finale picked up five top students on Thursday, to pitch their business ideas on the sidelines of the global expo battling for the start-up capital and potential investors. The top five students comprised of Leano Lephale proposing Ice Manufacturing business, Laone Mack (security services), Tavonga Muchuchuti (Fin-Tech), Bogolo Matenge (paper recycling) and the winner Rethabile Moikabi with waste management business proposal.
In an interview, Moikabi expressed delight for the opportunities that BAC avails for students who aspire to be entrepreneurs, adding that her business dream is now a reality. Moikabi who anticipates starting a waste management business noted that there is a huge potential on the waste management business sector hence her decision to tap the potential. “Waste management enterprise is a very viable. My business aims to recollect waste either from wood, office scraps and transform this raw material into finished products. I am very thankful to both BAC and Global Expo Botswana for seeing value in my business idea,” she added. In addition, she said that since she is new in the business, this means that she will learn from the already established businesses’ experts for guidance so as to ensure the business sustains. Moikabi said she will continue working hand in hand with BAC programme coordinators to assist her to fully execute the business idea.
Mpho Mokgosi, BAC Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication said the initiative is designed for instilling spirit of entrepreneurship on students at grassroots level before leaving the university. She also said the battlefield competition enables students to come up with innovative business ideas which provide solutions to everyday life challenges as well as creating employment for themselves. Mokgosi further indicated that the competition is administered in a unique manner that gives students exposure to the core of entrepreneurship as it strongly shapes their business acumen. She also said the initiative resembles BAC’s commitment of producing globally competitive graduates who are able to compete against the best in search of jobs and being innovative too. The previous edition of the competition was won by Mothusi Matobo who also won P 25,000, Aisha Tapela finished on position two winning P 15,000 while Bonno Motswaiso finishing third and winning P 10,000.
Meanwhile, BAC was crowned the 2019 Global Expo champion taking position one under the Best Business Service category beating EPL Sports Production and Brastorne Enterprises.