Page 36 - Noble Magazine • July-August 2020-1

MINING

Capacity Development

OLDM Launches

Boteti Tokafala

Supplier

Development

Programme

rapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines
(OLDM) General Manager Bakani Motlhabani,
who is also a member of the Board of Directors
Oof Tokafala, has launched the first Mining
Suppliers Development Programme on 6 July 2020.

The programme is run through Tokafala- a partnership
between the Government of the Republic of Botswana,
Debswana Diamond Company, De Beers Group and
Anglo American. According to Motlhabani the objective
of the Supplier Development Programme is to develop the
capacity and the competitiveness of citizen companies to
improve their access to markets and ensure sustainable
enterprises. He said that the programme will focus on
improving skills in the areas of sales, operations, financial,
strategic business management and further include a six
months Aftercare Support programme.

Motlhabani further said that a total of 100 participants
have been enrolled on the Mining Supplier Development
Programme of which 47 are from Boteti and 53 from
Jwaneng/Mabutsane area. He expressed his happiness
that that the programme has particularly made efforts
to enroll as many female owned businesses as possible,
with 31% of the participants being women.“Debswana’s
commitment to continue to make a meaningful and
lasting contribution to Botswana and communities
around the mines, noting that the company has a Citizen
Economic Empowerment Programme (CEEP), which is
aimed at capacitating citizen companies to participate in
Debswana’s Supply Chain,” reaffirmed Motlhabani.
In her part, Tokafala Programme Director, Montle
Phutego explained to the participants that her
organisation will work with them to develop strong
businesses with diversity of product and market, further
noting that they would conduct a diagnostic assessment
of their businesses in order to set new goals and direct
their energies and resources to areas of high impact. She
thanked the Debswana team for their support towards
getting the programme to fruition.

36 Noble Magazine // July - August 2020