29 May 2017

With government determined to diversify the economy from dependence on minerals to a knowledge-based economy, this may not be a far fetched dream with the Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills available.

This is the view of Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services policy specialist, Mr Mogomotsi Banabotlhe, who was speaking during the ICT Skills, Certifications and Entrepreneurship Symposium held by Hlanganani Information Communication Technology on May 26.

Mr Banabotlhe explained that the communication market in Botswana was no longer a monopoly, where Botswana Telecommunications Authority was the sole provider of telecommunication services as it was now an open market in which the private sector participated.

He said government came up with a national ICT policy called Maitlamo and was enacted by the National Assembly in 2007 to guide the development of national ICT skills.

Mr Banabotlhe said the policy vision aspired for Botswana to be globally competitive by leveraging the power and potential provided by the ICT.

He noted that those with the knowledge should use it to make innovations that could sell across boarders, stating that information was not only generated within our boarders, hence internet had so much information.

“So we are saying we have knowledge, how can we leverage this knowledge and make money out of it? That is where innovators come in,” he said

The National ICT Policy, he said, was driven by three goals, which were; creation of an enabling environment for the growth of an ICT industry; provision of universal services and access of information and communication facilities in the country as well as making Botswana an ICT regional hub.

Moreover, he said the department of telecommunication had rolled out mobile communication services to 197 villages, implemented Sesigo project, which enables users to access ICT services.

The CEO of craft Silicon, a Nairobi based company that provides software for financial transaction, Mr Kamal Bubhabhatti advised that people should not get into business for money because eventually the focus would be about money not business, but rather do something they were passionate about.

He also encouraged those wanting to venture into business to stick to their plan.

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority senior information technology engineer, Mr Seepelo Malefho stated that cyber crime was becoming a problem. He however said they were devising strategies to protect their clients. ENDS