Mbabane- When Duncan Dlamini started DJD Investments, a pork rearing business in Matsetsa under KaLanga Umphakatsi, he made himself a promise: by the fifth year, he would enter the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Five years later, he did and walked away the overall winner, driving home in a brand new Toyota Hilux Single Cab Bakkie, courtesy of FNB Foundation.
“This was my first time entering,” said Dlamini when speaking to members of the media after he was announced the winner. “I told myself I would do it in the fifth year, and I did so, thank God won.”
Dlamini believes awards like EYA do more than just recognise business success. He says they open doors to new opportunities and help entrepreneurs measure how far they’ve come. He urged other emaSwati to take the leap, describing the competition as an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
He also called on young people to consider entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment. “Starting businesses is in line with His Majesty King Mswati III’s Vision 2022,” he said, adding that local enterprise plays a key role in improving livelihoods.
Dlamini advised aspiring business owners to base their ventures in their Tinkhundla and Imiphakatsi. Doing so, he said, keeps operational costs low and makes it easier to access funding from sources such as the Regional Development Fund (RDF).
Discussion about this post