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Olafika SME Development & Mentorship
Programme

About Olafika 

Olafika is a structured mentorship programme designed to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge and skills needed for business success. In partnership with Namibia Diamond Trading Company, the mentorship programme teaches, trains and mentors entrepreneurs in Namibia, hailing from all 14 regions for a duration of 6 months. 

Qualifying criteria

  • Participant must be a Namibian Entrepreneur.
  • The business must be formally registered.
  • The business must be owner-run on a full-time basis.
  • The business must be growth-ready. 
  • The Entrepreneur should be prepared to invest back into their community through employment creation.
  • The business must be operated in the region of residence.

The Business

  1. The business must be in operation.
  2. The business must be in existence for at least 3 years.
  3. The business must have a craftable Vision, Mission and Goal(s) in place.
  4. The business should have a competitive advantage that will be crafted as a USP.
  • Location
  • Offering
  • Service
  • Product
  • Specific Customer Orientation 
  • Raw material

FAQs

You must download and complete the application form below and answer a series of mandatory questions on the application form and the self - assessment tool. You must submit additional documents and identification materials. After submission, you will receive a confirmation email of receipt.
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Olafika Registration Form

1 file(s)   520.30 KB
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Olafika Brochure

1 file(s)   4.87 MB
All applications must be submitted to the LED in each Regional Council, at Xwama Traditional Restaurant in Windhoek, Wanaheda or emailed to admin@twapewa.com.na . Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme will recruit 5 SME’s per region. 
The members of the partnership must identify and select only one partner to participate in the programme
Selection of the applicants will take place after the closing date of the application process. The selection process will be concluded by the Twapewa Kadhikwa Institute of Entrepreneurship & SME Development and an independent Selection Committee appointed by the Institute, against the specified selection criteria. 
All applicants will be judged on 6 main criteria: 1. Passion: the applicant must exhibit a high and infectious level of enthusiasm towards life and their business idea.   2. Feasibility of the business idea.   3. Market Opportunity: knowledge and understanding of the market, customers and competitors for their idea/business.   4. Financial Understanding: understanding of the basic financial requirements of running a business, costs and revenues.   5. Scalability: demonstrate potential for replication and growth of their product or service to create jobs and wealth.   6. Leadership Potential and Entrepreneurial Skills : demonstrate leadership potential capable of attracting people, customers and resources.
The Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme only accepts 70 entrepreneurs per year. Here are a few possible reasons why your application may have been unsuccessful; - You did not complete the application. - Your business or business activity is not more than 3 years old. - You were not clear on what you want to do with your business and what direction you want it to take. - Your application did not meet other eligibility criteria. - You scored low in the entrepreneurship assessment tool and/or more in the selection criteria.
The Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme only accepts 70 entrepreneurs per year. Here are a few possible reasons why your application may have been unsuccessful; - You did not complete the application. - Your business or business activity is not more than 3 years old. - You were not clear on what you want to do with your business and what direction you want it to take. - Your application did not meet other eligibility criteria. - You scored low in the entrepreneurship assessment tool and/or more in the selection criteria.
Ensure that you understand and review the selection criteria in the next programme cycle and make sure that you describe your business such that every aspect of the business or growth plan (i.e. description, target market, customer segmentation, financials, human resources etc.) is fully covered. 
Yes, there is a waiting list.  If any of the selected 70 SMEs do not claim their place by the set deadline, the next best entrepreneur will be chosen before the commencement of the programme cycle. If you are not selected, you can re-apply for the next programme cycle. This should give you enough time to reflect on your entrepreneurial objectives, as there may be new developments to include in the application.

Thanks for your support

The Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme’s sustainable and long-term growth could not be possible without the support of its many partners.

The Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme is committed to providing mentorship to entrepreneurs in all 14 Namibian regions.  As such, the programme works with partners to allow an equitable and fair chance to all participants, and to invest in the resources and tools and for a meaningful and hopefully, life changing training opportunity.  

The following partners support the Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme:

Get Involved

Become a part of the Solution! Please contact our Programme Coordinator to find out how you can partner with the programme at contact-us .

Visit the Olafika SME Development and Mentorship Programme website here