Bruce Mwale

Robert, a motor vehicle upholstering specialist With diligence, a motor vehicle upholstering entrepreneur cuts a piece of leather material to use in refurbishing cars seats, and then sitting behind an old sewing machine to join the pieces together. In a moment the final product comes out just like a factory made car seat. As an entrepreneur, 27 year old Robert Banda of Lusaka spends much of his time in a makeshift workshop doing this to earn a living. For Robert Banda, who has little knowledge to list on the stock exchange or other sources of investment, his business may remain small for many years to come.   The capital markets create a good avenue for the population to participate in the financial sector by providing alternative investment. But For the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises - SMEs sector which provides the greatest job opportunities in the country, its little recognition in the flow of investable resources besides other factors, drives many people away.

SMEs in Lusaka's Kalingalinga Compound From block making initiatives to welding, then basket making, just to name a few entrepreneurs located along Alick Nkhata road, adjacent to Kalingalinga compound in Lusaka. This is where you find youths who have ventured into all sorts of initiatives from which they earn a living. A visit to the area finds various entrepreneurs busy polishing up their works in anticipation of that unknown buyer. But it is not an easy venture for many youths. Several challenges hamper the development of many such ventures especially in the midst of stiff competition from foreign investors. "Like our friends the Lebanese who are making blocks, we are having a challenge to compete with them, because they have big equipment hence making more blocks than us. We also want the accessing of funds to be easy for us, unlike what is happening now where politicians are the ones benefiting from the funds even if they are not in business." said one