Thursday, November 7, 2024

Young entrepreneurs set to benefit from De Beer’s US$3 program

Global mining giant, De Beers Group has pumped $3 million into the three-year partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, to specifically impart skills to people in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. 
As a result, young Batswana entrepreneurs have been called on to enroll for the Stanford Graduate School of Business for the expansion of its 2 educational programmes. The programmes are named ‘The Seed Transformation and The Stanford Go-to-Market.” There are made possible by the De Beers Group, which has pumped $3 million into the three-year partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, to specifically impart skills to people in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. The programmes will start in 2018 and be headquartered in Gaborone at the Botswana Innovation Hub.
“We welcome the private sector’s support of developing programmes that will enhance diversity and have a socio-economic impact for the youth,” said the Minister of Tertiary Education, Alfred Madigele. He said the impact that the initiative will have on the expansion and transformation of the economies, primarily focusing on mining, technology, innovation and entrepreneurial economy is immeasurable.
People encouraged to apply are those who are founders of their own businesses or who are senior leaders in such businesses, and who want to grow and scale their companies, thereby creating jobs, products, or services that benefit those living in poverty.
Bruce Cleaver, Chief Executive Officer of De Beers said, “Economic diversification and youth employment opportunities are priorities for our government partners and are priorities of De Beers Group as well.” Cleaver continued saying the programmes, in partnership with a world-renowned educational institution, have excellent potential to help accelerate diversification and stimulate more opportunities for young and ambitious Southern Africans.
A report from De Beers Group state that the programmes will allow participants to “develop the skills, tools, and mindset to grow and scale business, create jobs, and lead one’s region to greater prosperity, and gain essential business and leadership skills, from strategy and finance to business ethics and design thinking, all taught by world-renowned Stanford faculty and local business practitioners.”
“With our experiences in East and West Africa, we are coming to learn as much as we are to teach. If the business and job growth that follows matches what we are seeing in our other locations, I anticipate this will be a very impactful initiative,” said Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Faculty Director of Stanford Seed, Jesper Sorensen. Further upon completion of the program, participant will receive a certificate from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

 

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