17 Nov 2015

For many years, people living with disabilities were relegated to the background with fewer opportunities availed for them. Today, government has availed a number of opportunities to exploit and already some have started successful businesses of any kind.

One such a person is Phatsi Banda, who is running a screen print business and is doing a diligent job despite his disability.

Banda, who runs Sphassion Sweggah screen printing business in Lobatse, is a Youth Development Fund (YDF) beneficiary, having been previously funded by Lobatse Social and Community Development (S&CD) with P25 000, which was not sufficient to start up a business.

However, he did not despair, and he got supplementary funding of P99 000 from Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture through YDF, and he used the money to purchase machinery and other necessary accessories needed in his daily operation.

Born 23 years ago in Mahalapye, he grew up armed with artistic skills, which he used to become productive and successful in his own right.

Banda, who did his primary and secondary education at Maitlamo Primary School and Letsopa Junior Secondary School respectively, was troubled by eyesight problems, which ultimately led to his disability.

However, he did not allow his condition to demoralise him. In fact, he became determined and creative. With a solid marketing business plan, his company Sphassion Sweggah screen printing business was born.

His company specialises in services such as vinyl printing, heat pressing printing and cup press printing.

He says it was not easy to start up a business, but with the vast knowledge on business management learnt at Sand Sledge College, he managed to overcome challenges encountered.

Banda intends growing his business by increasing his clientele base and increasing staff to create more job opportunities for other young Batswana for them to live dignified lives.

Already, he has government departments, parastatals and individuals as some of his clients. While, he sources his printing materials from Art Tswana, he is at times forced to buy from South Africa, but with costs.

For marketing their products, he says they depend on pamphlets, door to door marketing and at times, attend mine shows. Despite the growth of business, he decries lack of office accommodation in Lobatse and high rentals.

The challenges, he says dampen the young Batswana, who were determined to venture into entrepreneurship.

Also, he says some suppliers provide them with poor materials that make it difficult for them to produce quality products. That, he says affects their business.

He urges people living with disability not to get discouraged by their conditions. Rather, he says they should develop a strong sense of understanding their strengths and weaknesses in order to be successful.  “Disability is not inability,” he says.

He applauds government for a number of programmes put in place to uplift the lives of youth to live dignified lives and in the process promote economic growth of the country.

Banda is also a man of many talents, as he has already written a Setswana novel called ‘Masedi a botshelo’, which is still under review at Macmillan Publishing Company.

He has one employee, Dikabelo Mathokgwane, a graduate from GIPS armed with Diploma in Business Information Technology.

For his part, Mathokgwane says they are faced with internet problems as they would have engaged in internet marketing strategies such as creating a Facebook page to promote their products to reach other potential markets.

With access to internet, he believes they would be able to create a website and magazine as a way of promoting their products and services online. Ends