The NCCI and FNB Namibia recently hosted an entrepreneurship breakfast at the coast under the heading “Navigating through the harsh economic climate”. Mare Steenekamp, Branch Manager at the local FNB Swakopmund Branch explained that the breakfast was aimed at providing a platform for entrepreneurs to discuss issues that were pertinent to them while at the same time advising SME’s that FNB Namibia was there to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs, enabling the SME sector to further contribute to economic development of Namibia through value addition.
Speaking on the importance of providing SME’s with the necessary support required to succeed was FNB Business’s SME segment Head, Sam Ikela. When queried on the importance of their service offerings, he responded by saying: “The SME sector is regarded as the driving force of our national economy, now more than ever before. Our obligation is to assist our clients to conduct their businesses in a craftier, more cost-effective manner which enables them to sail through the current economic challenges.”
FNB Namibia has offered entrepreneurs a lifeline in the form of the FNB SME Special Fund, amongst its other SME product offerings. The fund is designed to cater for the distinctive financial and capital requirements of SME’s and primarily targets entrepreneurs who have bankable business proposals but who lack collateral and equity.
NCCI Chairman, Mr Paul Ndjambula commented on the importance of such initiatives by outlining the objectives of their office. He said, “The Chamber aims to create programs, tools, and opportunities that assist in the growth of our member’s enterprise. We do this through a blend of programming and services that are uniquely designed to address the current business landscape and challenges that exist in Swakopmund and the Erongo Region.”
