A group of 21 woman entrepreneurs have completed an Entrepreneurship Skills Workshop to equip them with the business know-how they need to thrive.

The training was facilitated by the Business and Entrepreneurship Training Centre and funded by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) Namibia, with the aim of developing the business skills and financial acumen of the women.

“At CCBA Namibia, we strive to empower women and youth throughout our value chain to drive real participation and promote inclusive economic growth. We directly support small enterprises to enhance their business growth and family livelihoods with annual development initiatives,” said Country Public Affairs and Communications Manager Enid Johr.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly hurt many small business owners and made doing business more challenging. But the pandemic has not affected our commitment to empowering small businesses in our value chain,” Johr added.

“In fact, it has pushed us to go even further, increasing our support to aid their recovery.”

CCBA Namibia provided the women with a startup package of non-perishable items and Coke products, which they can use to generate income.

“I am grateful for the opportunity Coca-Cola has provided me; it is a significant boost to my business.” said Caroline Witbooi, who is one of the beneficiaries. 

Elizabeth Namwandi, a Volunteer Administrator at the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN) and another of the participants, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity Coca-Cola Namibia provided, saying she learned a lot from the training.

“At CCBA Namibia, we define economic inclusion as the opening of gainful economic opportunities by providing access to markets and other economic activities leveraging the business and the entire industry,” said Johr.

“Our aim is to boost income, provide decent earning potential and improve skills and business knowledge for women, resulting in them accessing other opportunities.”