The Deputy Permanent Secretary – Corporate Services – in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Victor Rantshabeng, has urged women entrepreneurs in the informal sector to conform to standards that are set in the minds of the consumers, that of quality.
Speaking at a Business Forum, Rantshabeng said women entrepreneurs should strive for quality in all their products to penetrate in the local, regional and international markets.
He noted that “in the globalisation and trade liberalization arena, competitiveness is a key factor and diversification of products is one of the different factors that should propel business to greater heights”.
Rantshabeng pointed out that the phasing out of tariffs that is being advocated for by the World Trade Organisation, if put into practice, will inevitably lead to increased competition.
“No doubt innovation will be an indispensable strategy for sharpening and maintaining a competitive edge in the globalised market,” he said.
He encouraged incessant upgrading of products and entrepreneurs to be on guard of the market to spot any change.
“Be innovative in order to meet the ever changing needs and demands of a modern and sophisticated market,” he said.
Rantshabeng applauded the growth in response to market demands in the field of information technology, welding and fabrication as most women are enrolling into that sector.
In the same vein, Dennis Maswabi, Managing Director of Entrepreneurship Training and Development, said women should take seriously government initiatives of ensuring quality standards of products.
He noted that the initiatives were introduced upon realizing that women generally are either absent in the field of trade when compared to their male counterparts or when they are, they are not as visible as those who participate in trade.
He said the plan of the forum is not only to encourage linkages between the informal sector and the formal sector but to also acquire information on how to access the global markets most importantly search for ways to expand the market site for your commodities.
Maswabi said that National Vision 2016 envisages a Prosperous, Productive and Innovative Nation could only be achieved if the entrepreneurs lead in ensuring that products are of good quality, globally competitive and attractive to investors.
He encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of available strategies to improve their businesses in terms of new designs, new usages, reduced costs, improved quality and better services.
