Northern SMEs need more access to information

A recurring theme among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ondangwa and Oshakati is the need to access to information.

This comes after the Bank Windhoek small and medium enterprises division recently hosted an SME information session in the north, in collaboration with the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) northern office.

According to a media release, SME owners in the north feel that most interventions provided in Windhoek are not reaching them.

Bank Windhoek’s manager of emerging SMEs Jenevieve Swartz stressed the importance of regular engagements with the SMEs to understand their expectations and aspirations better and to provide them with tailor-made solutions for their unique business ventures.

“As connectors of positive change, our ambitions are to present these sessions across all 14 regions, where possible, to ensure that access to information is available to all. We value our clients and prospective clients and we want to reinforce that relationship by reaching out through these sessions,” she said.

Swartz said the aim of these sessions was to actively engage the SMEs through information-sharing and by providing a platform to the SMEs for sharing their challenges and identifying opportunities that they are faced whilst running successful businesses.

As part of the bank’s strategic partnerships, the Namibia Investment Promotion Development Board Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Business Advisory Services unit accompanied the team at both sessions.

They made a insightful presentation on the mandate of the MSME unit and the various initiatives they are driving in Namibia.

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