For your businesses to survive, adhere to Malawi labour laws; ensure that your staff are remunerated according to labour law on minimum wage. This was Etta Mmangisa, the UNDP Social and Environmental Safeguard Specialist, tipping Growth Accelerator (GA) matching grant recipients in Lilongwe.

The 16 ventures under Cohort 6 of the GA, were in Lilongwe for their second Kula (grow) session, a technical assistance workshop designed to empower the youthful entrepreneurs with information and skills to help them propel business growth.

Said Mmangisa: “high staff turnover is a sign of employees’ dissatisfaction therefore; it is important to remunerate employees at the ruling government wages. Anything less, even if employees eat at the workplaces could still trigger labour complaints detrimental to your growth.”

The specialist also advised ventures to ensure that laws in all areas concerning their business are adhered to saying “for businesses that produce smell, have machinery that vibrates and make a lot of noise in course of business operations” safety safeguards should be put in place to avoid triggering community uprising.

“For on-going businesses it is important to conduct a discrete stakeholder consultation to ensure that if there are any concerns, the business will take preventive measures and avoid any grievances against the enterprise,” she emphasised.

She further advised that “where businesses are into the making of organic manure, use of or applications of fertilisers, workers should be encouraged to wear protective clothing, to minimise future complaints.”

Cohort 6 of the GA has three ventures – Funani, Kambewu and Apocalypse – which are into organic fertiliser production.

Mmangisa’s presentation spiced discussions on marketing and competition, the theme for Kula session 2.