MASERU, Sept. 2 — The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Motlatsi Maqelepo, has stressed the importance of strengthening Lesotho’s textile and apparel value chain to increase the country’s participation in domestic and international markets.
Minister Maqelepo was speaking during a follow-up tour of enterprises supported through the Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion Project (CAFI).
He said the tour provided an opportunity to raise awareness of CAFI’s contribution to business and enterprise development in Lesotho.
He added that the Ministry had a responsibility to promote business and enterprise development as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s economy.
Minister Maqelepo encouraged young people to embrace entrepreneurship, saying there were significant opportunities for them to establish businesses that respond to the country’s development needs, including road infrastructure and other sectors.
He further stressed the importance of innovative business ideas, saying the tour had enabled him to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing emerging businesses.
He said Basotho-owned enterprises needed to grow sustainably and create employment opportunities.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Esther Sekoai of Estigma Gardens and Pavings commended CAFI for supporting her business, particularly through the provision of equipment that had improved its operations.
She said the project had also helped the company access marketing opportunities within Lesotho.
However, she highlighted weather-related challenges during winter, saying cold conditions affect brick production and could result in the loss of customers.
Mrs. Sekoai also credited CAFI workshops with strengthening her entrepreneurial skills and contributing to the growth of her business.
She said the enterprise started with four employees but had since increased its workforce to seven.
The founder of Iconis Manufacturers, Mr. Rapitso Mosebetsi, said the company aimed to contribute to Lesotho’s economic development through the production of innovative products.
Mr. Mosebetsi said the company was established in 2023 with three employees and now had 14 permanent employees.
He said Iconis Manufacturers was seeking potential investment and additional equipment to improve its products and meet the required standards.
He added that participation in international business trips had exposed the company to wider markets and encouraged it to explore jean manufacturing after identifying significant international demand for such products.
Looking ahead, Mr. Mosebetsi said he hoped to see Iconis Manufacturers expand its operations over the next five years by establishing additional outlets and increasing its manufacturing capacity.
He noted that the planned expansion would require additional operational space.
The tour covered three CAFI-supported enterprises operating in the food, fashion and brick manufacturing sectors.
It forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to monitor the progress of supported enterprises and assess their continued support needs.
Since 2023, the Lesotho Entrepreneurship Hub and Seed Financing Facility has supported 260 enterprises, including 144 women-led and 174 youth-led businesses.
The programme’s support has also contributed to the creation of 1,843 jobs across the manufacturing, agriculture, information and communications technology (ICT), and creative industries sectors.
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