Enterprise Capacity Building, Entrepreneurship Skills, Productivity and Industrial Competitiveness Development

1. MALAWI SMEs DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
Presenter:
WILLYS SIMFUKWE
Business Incubation Program Manager
FEMCOM SECRETARIAT
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
Enterprise Capacity Building,
Entrepreneurship Skills, Productivity and
Industrial Competitiveness Development

2. Outline
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
Who We Are
Our Mandate
Why Focus on Malawian Women Entrepreneurs?
Challenges Facing Women Entrepreneurs
FEMCOM’s Rresponse
Some Lessons
Recommendations

3. Who We Are
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
 The Federation of National Associations of Women in Business in Eastern and
Southern Africa (FEMCOM) is a COMESA institution based in Lilongwe
 FEMCOM Secretariat was established in Lilongwe in 2009 following the
agreement and decision of COMESA Heads of State and Government 2007
Summit held in Nairobi Kenya
 FEMCOM mandate is embedded in the COMESA Treaty Artcle 155:
Creating an enabling environment for effective participation of women in
Common Market trade and development activities;
Promoting special programmes for women in small and medium-size
enterprises;
Eliminating such laws and regulations that hinder women’s access to credit
Initiating changes in education and training to enable women and youth to
improve their technical and industrial employment levels (transferable skills)

4. Who we are?
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
FEMCOM is hosted by the Malawian government under
the Ministry of Trade and Industry
The focal point organisation is the National Association
of Business Women (NABW)
FEMCOM also works with private sector, SME
associations, chambers of commerce and other
organisations that collaborate with COMESA

5. FEMCOM focus on SME
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
1. Enable better use of existing local capacity of SMEs
entrepreneurs (particularly in women and youth) to accelerate
economic growth in COMESA region including Malawi
2. Women are engaged mostly in labour intensive activities that
are central to job creation/ can contribute to equitable
distribution of income
3. Enable women and youth entrepreneurs and enterprises to
qualify for/ make better use of foreign investment in
COMESA region
4. Many women and youth enterprises in collapse at start-up
stage; and those that survive the start-up stage fail to
grow
5. Enable women and youth’s participation in intra-regional
trade in the COMESA region

6. Challenges facing SMEs
FEMALE
ENTREPRENEUR
NO ACCESS
TO BDS
HOUSEHOLD
FAMILY CARE
DEMANDS
LIMITED
SUPPORT
NETWORKS
LOW LEVEL OF
EDUCATION
CULTURAL
BARRIERS
NO ACCESS TO
CREDIT/CAPITAL
NO ACCESS TO
MODERN
TECHNOLOGY
LIMITED
BUSINESS AND
MARKET
KNOWLEDGE
LACK OF
OPERATIONAL
SPACE 4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM

7. COMESA FEMCOM’ Strategic Response
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
 COMESA theme “Enhancing Intra-COMESA Trade Through MSMEs
Development,”
 COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan (2011 – 16): strategic objective two -
focuses on Building Productive Capacity for Global Competiveness
 FEMCOM Medium Term Strategic Plan (2009 – 14): strategic priority three –
focus on building the capacity of women and youth entrepreneurs to become
competitive regionally and internationally.
 These are in line with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS
II, 2011- 16)
 In line with country plan to accelerate the attainment of MDG targets for
2015.

8. COMESA FEMCOM’s Programme Approach
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
 SME Cluster Development Programme (funded by EU) focusing on Garment
and textiles; agro-processing; and Leather and footwear clusters
 Host ministry - The Ministry of Trade and Industry
 Collaborative Partners: National Association of Women in Business (NAWB),
Malawi SME association, Malawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and
World Vision
Key Activities:
Profiling of SMEs
Business skills training
Technical training and procurement of machinery/equipment
Facilitation of access to finance through COMESA institutions(PTA bank)

9. COMESA FEMCOM Programmatic Approach
Business Incubation for African Women Entrepreneurs
(BIAWE) Project funded by NEPAD Spanish
Eight pilot countries (Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Malawi,
Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe)
Key activities
Baseline survey and feasibility study to establish regional
business incubator
Focus on three sectors (agro-processing, handcrafts and ICT)
Facilitate establishment of Credit Guarantee Fund for women
entrepreneurs
Policy review to ensure favourable environment for business
incubations
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM

10. Some lessons to date
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
Skills training and access to appropriate technology and/or
equipment is critical for SME development
Cluster approach improves cooperation among cluster members
- working together to service orders, participate in exhibitions,
share equipment and expertise
Cluster approach leads to improved trust and linkage among
members (joint purchase of inputs and job sharing) and enhanced
productivity

11. Other programmes
Implementation of the Regional Food Balance Sheet
programme (funded by USAID) – FEMCOM is working
with ACTESA in implementing the Informal Cross border
Monitoring System (ICBMS) of cereal movements at 17
border points in Malawi.
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM

12. Cassava cluster
Uganda Kenya Rwanda Burundi Madagascar
Capacity building
(business and technical
training in cassava
processing)
55 Kimono
District
50 Busia, Teso,
Nzaui
50 Rhuhango 52 Kayagoro 80 Ambalaveo
Country partners FTN Makerere
University,
Uganda Small
Scale
Entrepreneur
Association
Ministry of
Trade,
Agriculture
Farm Concern
International
Ministry of
industrialisation,
Agriculture
Farm Concern
International
Ministry of Trade,
Rwanda
Development
Agency.
Farm Concern
International,
CAPAAD,
Direction Regionale du
Developpement Rural
de Haute Matsiatra
(DRDR-HM)
FOFIFA Centre
Research
Ministry of Agriculture
Equipment and
machinery
Granters,
chippers, dryers;
Graters, chippers,
dryers
Granters, chippers
and dryers
Equipment delivery
awaiting technical
training
Equipment delivery
awaiting technical
training
Note: the equipment is to assist cluster groups to produce quality cassava flour, cassava starch for
industrial use and animal feed.

13. Textile and clothing cluster
Ethiopia Zambia Malawi Kenya Uganda
Capacity building
(business and
technical training)
50 100 65 50 50
Partners Textile industry
development, MAA
Garment, Ethiopia
textile and garment
manufacturer
association
Ministry of trade,
Agriculture
Evelyn Hone
College, Lusaka
Technical School,
Ministry of trade,
TEVETA
World Vision,
Malawi Chamber of
Commerce and
Industry,
World Vision,
Kabete Technical
College
Ministry of
Industrialisation
Textile Development
Agency,
Ministry of
Commerce
Equipment and
machinery
Not yet Not yet Not yet Not yet Semi automatic
sewing machines,
embroidery and
knitters,

14. Recommendations
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM
 Review SME policies to ensure the acceleration of Cluster Development and
Business Incubation Initiatives (provide quotas in government procurement for
SMEs)
 Need to support tertiary institutions to engage in Business Incubation activities
and provide incubation space for SMEs (lessons from ASIA and BRICS)
 Make use of Peer Review mechanism to enable governments to learn and share
best practices in SME strategies and implementation practices e.g. Mauritius,
Kenya, etc)
 Review of school/Educational curricula to ensure incorporation of
entrepreneurial learning at early stages of learning
 Mass community sensitisation to alleviate impact of negative cultural beliefs

15. ThankYou ForYourAttention.
Contact:
FEMCOM COMESA
Mrs. Katherine Ichoya, CEO:
kichoya@comesa.int; kichoya@femcomesa.org
Mr.Willys Simfukwe, Project Manager:
wsimfukwe@femcomcomesa.org
wsimfukwe@comesa.int
4/25/2013COMESA FEMCOM