By LILLIAN  BANDA –
THE declining capacity for countries like Zambia to create jobs for the youth has been a source of concern since the 1990s.
It is for this reason that policy makers are increasingly trying to implement policies that support social entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is an employment strategy that leads to economic self-sufficiency for many people especially youths.
The latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report states that entrepreneurship is a driver of sustainable economic growth because entrepreneurs create new businesses.
Entrepreneurs drive, shape innovation and speed up structural changes in the economy.
It also introduces new competition, thereby contributing to high productivity.
The report suggests that high levels of entrepreneurial optimism, ambition and innovation are vital to developing economies.
It is, therefore, imperative that the youth become active participants’ in the future economic activities of their countries.
However, In Zambia some youths are steadily moving away from the culture of pursuing formal employment opportunities to that of creating jobs although more needs to be done such as providing incentives.
This development was demonstrated by participants’ of various projects at the recently held Young Entrepreneurs Exhibition in Lusaka.
From the initiatives and projects exhibited, it was clear that some needed little or no financial resources to start.
The exhibition which was part of the activities that took place during youth week; which proceeded this year’s Youth Day celebrations, brought together several young entrepreneurs and innovators and provided a platform to showcase their works.
It provided an opportunity for young people to network and share ideas.
During the exhibition, young people demonstrated that they have the ability to create wealth and make significant contributions toward the economic development of the nation.
Lack of adequate information pertaining to available business opportunities and financial management continue to hinder many young people from taking part in entrepreneurial activities.
“The main challenge is not exactly lack of financial resources because great ideas almost always get funded. There are so many business opportunities in Zambia that young people can take advantage of Lack of,” says Clement Njovu, a youth who exhibited at the show.
Clement is the proprietor of Cleyami Forest Honey Company, which has specialised in honey packaging.
He gets the honey from Kabompo and Zambezi in North Western province.
The honey harvested from these areas is said to be good and is on demand locally and abroad.
“A lot of local supermarkets are purchasing this honey,” Clement says who studied Wood Science and Technology at Copperbelt University, that it had been his lifelong dream to run his own business.
He, however, said there was a lot that one can do as an entrepreneur because of not being confined to certain pattern of thinking.
Running a business enables one to be alert and innovative.
“I am currently a supplier with plans of expansion. I want to venture into large scale honey production and processing of bee wax which can be used to, among other things make candles, soap and certain cosmetics,” Clement said.
Clement encouraged his peers not to focus on formal employment opportunities but consider venturing into business.
He said youths should be thinking of creating jobs and not waiting to be employed.
“If you start a business you start a value chain. From one company you create opportunities and everyone that is associated to a product benefits from it,” Clement said.
Elvis Matafwali, 23, who has been involved in the production of vegetables for the past two years, says it is unfortunate that some youths shun investing in agriculture because they perceived it as a labour-intensive venture.
“It is a very profitable business. One can never go wrong with farming more so when it has to do with food products because there is always a ready market for them,” Matafwali said.
Matafwali has urged Government and its development partners to provide incentives to youths intending to venture into agri-business as a way of motivating them.
Daniel Phiri, who is engaged in agriculture, farming is lucrative business venture because people eat every day, so they need food.
“I started farming in 2012 on a small portion of land in Chongwe District. I faced a number of challenges in the beginning mainly due to lack of adequate knowledge. I have since employed two young people help,” says 26-year-old Daniel.
He produces groundnuts and processes them into peanut butter which he is supplying to a host of super markets.
I am currently working on supplying a host of super markets,” said Daniel and appealed to the financial lending institutions to help propel young entrepreneurs to greater highlights by ensuring that they have access to loans and other financial services.
He said access to loans and conditions of repayment are not friendly particularly to young people.
There is need to work towards eliminating barriers that hinder young people from starting and maintaining their own businesses.
There is need to continue working towards creating an environment where access to finance is based more on the capacity of repayment than it is on the availability of collateral.