Moshe Seloko Interview
Briefly tell us about yourself
Moshe Seloko is the founder and Executive Director of The Bizkid. He is a Professional speaker, Author, Business Coach Trainer, Mentor and an Entrepreneur. He was voted one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons on the year 2012 in Botswana.
Moshe is a competent, articulate and vibrant dominant high level professional speaker who delivers his messages coupled with subtle video interplay and a bit of humour. He is impactful, memorable and enthralling speaker, who conveys powerful individual themed/ branded messages into his keynote presentations, weaving in your unique significance.He has been rated as “no less than excellent” by over thousands who have had opportunity to listen to him, both in the country and other cities he inspired in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban,(South Africa) Lusaka (Zambia), Amsterdam (Holland), Frankfurt (Germany), France and London in England.
He exceptionally combines his first hand experience and knowledge of Business in de-mystifying entrepreneurship and business ownership in every walks of life and industry.
Seloko has been invited, as a key note speaker by government of Botswana, Zambia and South Africa, several NGOs, Businesses and universities to present on various entrepreneurship issues. He has a reputation as one of the best business-to-business speakers on the national professional circuit growing abroad. He has worked with dozens of the world’s leading companies and has addressed many conferences and seminars to date in Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, France, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom; to audiences ranging from Students, Business people, Religious groups and general public.
With over ten years of business communication and marketing experience before becoming a full-time speaker, Seloko has worked personally with Kevin Horsley, a World Memory Championship medalist.
Tell us more about Bizkid
Launched in 2011 by the Botswana Minister of Trade and Industry Hon. Dorcus Makgatho-Malesu, The Bizkid is a ready for action Program aiming at grooming prospect business leaders (aged 9-14) through teaching the basics of entrepreneurship. Bizkid encourages and nurtures entrepreneurship by affording students opportunities for priceless experiences to expectantly profile their futures. Bizkid simply helps children face uncertain future with certainty.
We have created each one of our Entrepreneurial Programs to help participants develop entrepreneurial ideas and to provide steps to take in the entrepreneurial journey
At the end of our programs, participants would have experienced the entire entrepreneurial cycle. The impact the program has on participants is vast – from inspiration and creating their own companies to understanding the relevance of being successful in life and academics.
Is there anything else that you do?
At the same level as Bizkid, we run several training programs targeting people at different level and these are
Non-Formal Entrepreneuship Program
Who can attend: Aspiring entrepreneurs in rural areas
Duration: 4 days
Set up: Groups (max 36)
Any one without formal education background
The Non-formal training program takes an experiential approach to education, allowing participants to learn key financial concepts by participating in the business process. In doing so, participants not only become invested in the materials but begin to understand the relevance of traditional school subjects as they see how they apply to the real world.
Post Tertiary Entrepreneurship Program
Who can attend: Aspiring entrepreneurs
Duration: 5 days
Set up: Groups (max 36)
Anyone with basic education
The BEDP seeks in igniting an entrepreneurial spark in participants, helping them solve problems, develop ideas, and most importantly, recognize opportunities. The BEDP inspires participants to think BIG, whether be it starting their own business or looking at a crisis in the community and developing a unique way to solve it
Team building
We help organisations deal with….
- Decreased productivity
- Conflicts or hostility among staff members
- Confusion about assignments, missed signals, and unclear relationships
- Decisions misunderstood or not carried through properly
- Apathy and lack of involvement
- Lack of initiation, imagination, innovation; routine actions taken for solving complex problems
- Complaints of discrimination or favoritism
- Ineffective staff meetings, low participation, minimally effective decisions
- Negative reactions to the manager
- Complaints about quality of service
If so, then you need to meet our team….
Our team-building sessions unite employees around a common goal and generate greater productivity. We believe that without team building, you limit yourself and the staff to the effort each individual can make alone.
Public Speaking Training
We develop speakers and help them penetrate the market towards professional speaking as a career.
What motivated you to go into business and motivational speaking?
Today’s youth face many more challenges than generations before them. Most kids will graduate from school without the vital skills they need to face our uncertain world with certainty. Our world is faced with several challenges opposed to success, i.e. Rising Unemployment, Increasing Poverty, Deteriorating Economic Conditions, Declining Global Trade, Hiring Freeze, Lay Offs, Reduction in Salaries and Reduced Employee Benefits. Ignoring all these looming signs (by not acting) will be a MASSIVE mistake. We therefore need to come up with ways to help the situation before the economy sinks…
…and a true entrepreneurial experience will provide kids with the essential 21st century skills that develop from experiencing the entrepreneurial mindset which will also go a long way in saving and securing future, opening up opportunities and setting up a great potential for economic growth.
What are some of the challenges that you face on a daily basis and how do you deal with them?
The biggest challenge I face at the moment, apart from the obvious challenges of slow repeated orders in my business etc, is people not trusting themselves enough to take risks. A lot of Batswana have fear. They are slow in taking risks and always limit their potential by focusing less on their own dreams. Of course people have to work to feed themselves today, I believe one has to sweat and hassle now to safeguard tomorrow.
Did you have any business background before starting up?
My father owned a small shop back at home, my siblings are running businesses in the city and I also worked as a business advisor for the Botswana Local Entreprise Authority at some point in life. I believe I got a lot of motivation from that.
Which characteristics do you possess that you consider to have contributed to your business success?
Risk taking, and my communication skills.
How can you rate your business in terms of quality of services offered/quality of employees?
8/10. I am going to be focusing on service delivery this coming year. I have to send my staff for training, that’s my target for them this coming year.
What are your future plans in relation to your business?
Soon The Bizkid will be be available as a franchise, that’s all I can say for now.
Have you ever given back to the community? Share with us what you have done so far and what you plan to do in the future
I have adopted a couple of schools and I do train the staff members and the students on a couple of issues. I also prepare the adopted schools for examinations
What does your typical day at the office look like?
I have a tight daily schedule, i get to office at 7, though we start work at 8, I meet my PA who briefs me on any new developments for the day, then I either concentrate on my office work, though most often I am closed in meetings with clients or am out of office doing training. I have been operating with one main mobile line, but of recent I decided to get a personal/private number that’s specifically for business.
Many young people out there want to be entrepreneurs. What advice can you give them? Do you have any final thoughts that you would love to share with Botswana youth?
Plan…Focus…Implement…Focus….Dedication… Hard-work…Focus….Perseverance and contact me for support
How can people contact you?
My office line is 3917548, mobile: 71303070, lot 5095, ext 10, Podume road, off South-ring road.
