21 Jun 2016

Young entrepreneurs continue to lift the country’s flag in the international ICT platform, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo has said.

He said this was evident in the last two years when some Batswana entrepreneurs, through their innovation and dedication, won first prizes in 2014 and 2015 at the Orange African Social Venture competition.        

Minister Mabeo was speaking at the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day in Thamaga on June 17.

The minister applauded the two entrepreneurs, Messrs Paul Gaotingwe and Karabo Ratladi owners of Modisa and FarmConnecta for emerging victorious in the mobile applications thus lifting high not only the country’s flag but also that of the African continent.

He congratulated Orange Botswana for their continuing support to the country’s economic growth, particularly aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 9) through creating an enabling environment for social entrepreneurs to be innovative and in the process create sustainable businesses. 

Mr Mabeo said government, in conjunction with the private sector, was working hard to provide financial access and services to every Motswana. However, some Batswana, especially women, remained unbanked although a solution had since been provided by public telecommunications operators where the unbanked Batswana received and sent money through services such as Myzaka, Smega or Orange money. 

 He said it was through the Botswana Innovation Hub that young Batswana developers and social entrepreneurs got access to the facilities including incubation and mentorship.  

The minister singled out to operators, to demonstrate how the government is serious about how the government was willing and able to partner with private sectors that are helping in the fight against unemployment. He, however, highlighted government strategies aimed at tackling youth unemployment by leveraging on technology and infrastructure that the country had in abundance to foster small, medium and micro enterprises for sustainable economic growth and job creation.  

Giving a keynote address, the US Ambassador, Mr Earl Miller, challenged nations about the importance of collaboration saying it was critical across borders in fighting the cybercrime.

He said since ICT crossed borders, the same route used to acquire global opportunities could be used to deal with enemies. 

Ambassador Miller said with smartphones becoming more affordable and the fastest growth in the mobile broadband in the world, access to internet-based services and technology via mobile phones allowed Africa to leapfrog over parts of the globe and get connected to developed and growing economies.

Mr Miller also highlighted his government’s initiative towards working to realise its goals of an open and secure internet intended to share with international partners, Botswana among others

WTISD commemoration left Thamaga with two major projects: the e-learning project at Sekgele Junior School donated by Dimension Data, where English, Mathematics and Science tutorials will be conducted simultaneously to a number of connected schools through video conferencing.

The other project is the community Library with potter-cabin installed with 20 computers, one projector, two printers, two air conditioners and Wi-Fi connected donated by WTISD’ stakeholders through its literacy Improvement sub committee chairperson Mr Segolame Motlhagodi. ENDS