Botswana:Gofaone Ntwaetsile-Event(Tent hire and Catering)

Gofaone owns Mogg Tent Hire and Catering located in Gantsi at Morama ward. This business was registered on the 13^th November 2014. She started her business in 2013 with tent hire, which she received from the council. She then attended training with Gender Links where she learnt how to do business plans and run a business. She was able to expand her business and add catering and decorating to her business, she managed to register her business and now she is able to get tenders from government and private companies.

Her business involves tent hire and catering. She does décor and catering for Halls, churches and business meeting, weddings and parties. She embarked  on the business due to the training and she nurtured it up to its growth. She added new products, being the catering and decorating, staff, new markets and project equipment. She increased the working space and she opened a bank account.

Gofaone did not experience any challenge financially, in applying information she learned, finding markets and keeping records of the income and expenditure, she only had one challenge of accessing infrastructure because Gantsi is a rural place and she is far from Gaborone.

Furthermore, Gofaone was capable to do different things after the project such as using a computer,having an email address, surfing the internet for example google and having a Facebook. She uses Facebook and WhatsApp to advertise her work.

Gofaone had marketing skills, which she exercises through SMS and whats app. She also uses internet searches for instance, google to update her decorating skills and catering or different dishes to cook. She engages in banking and money transfers using her banking account, customers are able to pay her services through transfers. She has cell phone banking and internet banking. She plans to introduce a new package whereby tent hire comes with the option of cakes and bridal gown. She has started taking part in expositions and competitions to learn from others and improve.