Mentorship is playing a key role in helping Malawian entrepreneurs overcome business challenges and grow their enterprises, according to the Growth Accelerator programme.
Speaking at a Growth Accelerator Ecosystem event in Lilongwe, Project Manager Tambulani Chunga said entrepreneurs should learn from people who had already navigated the challenges of running businesses.
“Business growth comes with its own challenges. So there are others who have passed through that journey,” Chunga said.
He said mentorship under the programme goes beyond financial support, helping entrepreneurs improve areas such as financial management, staffing, regulatory compliance and business systems.
One of the mentors, Thokozani Unyolo, urged young entrepreneurs to be clear about what they want to learn when approaching experienced business people.
“Time is currency, and for somebody at that level to give you their time, you should look at it as a blessing,” she said.
One entrepreneur benefiting from the programme, Tisungane Thomson Kamba of Akhada Baskets, said mentorship had helped transform her business.
“I’ve benefited a lot from mentorship. I’ve been able to actually grow to where I am because of mentorship,” she said.
Kamba said production had increased from about 100 baskets a month to more than 1,000 following support from Growth Accelerator.
She said the business now works with 74 weavers, while exporting baskets to markets including the Netherlands and Greece.
The Growth Accelerator programme provides entrepreneurs with funding, technical assistance and mentorship to strengthen their businesses.
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