A third year Urban and Regional Planning student in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Ms Ludo Ntshiwa, is this year’s Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) University Challenge winner.
Twenty-year-old Ms Ntshiwa became the first female winner, walking away with P350 000 at a ceremony which was officiated by the Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, in Gaborone on January 26, 2020. Ms Ntshiwa beat 218 other applicants who submitted their proposal for this year initiative.
The CEDA/DBSA) initiative, with a lucrative prize of P350 000 for females and P300 000 for males, is part of government’s commitment to empower the youth by providing seed capital and mentoring to develop bankable and sustainable business ideas.
Ms Ntshiwa plans to produce briquettes from organic waste, industrial saw dust and agricultural waste. Her business is expected to mitigate the impact of climate change in Botswana given its potential to reduce deforestation, generate renewable energy by promoting environmentally ways of disposing off waste.
Speaking at the event, CEDA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Thabo Thamane, said CEDA’s aim was to use the University Challenge to cultivate active youth participation in growing Botswana’s economy.
Mr Thamane said the main objective of the challenge was for young people to come up with innovative solutions to issues of unemployment in the country especially in the manufacturing sector where there was a huge potential for employment creation, with SMMEs in the lead.
He also said both the 2018 and 2019 winners will be enrolled in the Global Entrepreneurship Boot Camp slated for Bangkok, Thailand in April.