Business fair for SMMEs nears
Miss Seychelles Universe Gabriella Gonthier will also be at the fair along with the chief executive of Seychelles Fashion Week Terry Carolla.
Small businesses are invited to the inaugural South Coast Annual Business Fair at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre on August 25 and 26, where media personalities such as DJ HappyGal will be giving a talk on how to market your products.
Miss Seychelles Universe Gabriella Gonthier will also be at the fair along with the chief executive of Seychelles Fashion Week, Terry Carolla.
The founder of the event, Makhosazane Ntshangase said she is targeting small businesses on the South Coast because micro-businesses have been marginalised for a long time. Ntshangase described the event as a multi-sectoral business fair, saying one does not have to be in the creative, fashion or arts space to showcase at the fair.
“You can be in agriculture, information technology, filming or any other sector. You are allowed to showcase at the fair because we share the same customers. What we are saying is that we can see that you have employed yourself and another person, we are now going to give you a platform to showcase directly to your customers and to meet other people’s clients. We will be offering a platform for you to grow. We will not be holding your hand, so you need to prepare yourself for what you are going to say to the new clients you are going to meet, and how are you going to lure them,” she said, adding that small business owners need to fit and cement themselves in the business fair.
She added that day one of the fair will include exhibitions and dialogues with Gonthier and Carolla, and there will also be a fashion competition.
On Friday, the event will host a panel on youth empowerment with panelists such as Nozie Sogoni, Trevor Ntombela, Sandile Langa and Nokubonga Ngobeni,
Ntshangase said the winners of the fashion competition will get an opportunity to showcase for free at Seychelles Fashion Week, next year.
“A sewing competition will be part of the business fair. Contestants will be required to sew for two hours in front of an audience, a call out will go out soon. The second day will be a full fashion day where over 20 designers will be showcasing with 30 models. There will also be different types of entertainment from dance to poetry and more. We are going to end the day with an awards ceremony for models where the face of the business fair will be chosen. That person will be an ambassador of the event,” she said, adding that organisations such as National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and other youth agencies will be at the event to assist small business owners to raise funding.
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