Nyamuka Zambia competition unveils 60 semi-finalists of 2016
SIXTY cutting-edge entrepreneurs from across the country have been shortlisted for the Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition to qualify to go into the next phase of the competition increasing their chances of turning their business ideas into reality.
Over 600 budding business women and men registered for this high-profile initiative, all hoping to win the K250,000 top prize, along with 19 other runner-up prizes and professional business advice to bring their concepts to life.
Names of the 60 semi-finalists were announced in the media, the Nyamuka Zambia website and Facebook yesterday on June 6, 2016. These semi-finalists will then go through to the second phase of the competition where they will receive one-to-one business planning support from qualified business advisors. This phase also features an exciting National Business Conference. The business plans submitted in this phase will be further scrutinised by a panel of independent judges to progress to final stage of the competition.
Nyamuka Zambia has already been providing application advice clinics and business planning workshops in Lusaka and the Copperbelt to help applicants develop better quality proposals that have the potential of becoming profitable enterprises.
In making the announcement, Nyamuka Zambia Manager, Shalin Jethi: “We have had some cracking good applications and I am also amazed at the enterprise of people to come from far away and it clearly shows the entrepreneurial spirit of people in Zambia; we have had loads of people apply especially female and young entrepreneurs, whose numbers are up by 25% marking a great start to the second season of Nyamuka Zambia.”
The Barclays–sponsored Nyamuka Zambia is one of four components under the Private Enterprise Programme – Zambia (PEPZ), funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Fledgling businesspeople from all walks of life submitted their ideas, which ranged from renewable energy and waste management to fashion design and jewellery making, agri businesses, food processing and packaging and also a range of innovative consumer services.
The application date ran from March 10 and closed on April 29, 2016. This year’s competition has registered over 2,000 expressions of interest from entrepreneurial hopefuls who cut across various economic sectors.