22 Jul 2018

Mr Mannoakgotla Medupe has made it to the Mandela Centennial Scholarship, becoming one of the 100 scholars from 30 African nations to make the cut to study at the African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda.

The scholarship is a gift from Nelson Mandela to 100 scholars ages ranging from 18-23, with 50 of them being female and another 50 being male. It was launched to commemorate his 100th birthday and covers full tuition, accommodation and upkeep.

The 22-year-old who hails from Serowe said the scholarship was offered to young change leaders who have already started making contributions to their communities.

Speaking on his expectations regarding the opportunity, he was hopeful to grow as a Pan-African individual, impact on many young lives through the implementation of what he would learn.

“I really hope that this opportunity moulds me into a better leader and contributes to my entrepreneurial prowess ultimately creating employment as that is the key issue affecting our youth not only here in Botswana but globally,” he said.

Mr Medupe further said even though he was overwhelmed at the moment about his achievement, he also had mixed emotions.

“I am leaving my family & friends behind. It is not everyday people my age get opportunities to study abroad, get to explore different cultures, lifestyles and that alone has stunned me.

But Mannoakgotla is very elated over being chosen out of thousands of applicants across Africa, I am very grateful for the opportunity as well as its implication on my future and those lives that I will impact directly or indirectly as a result of this,” he said.

The scholars chosen for the scholarship are expected to begin the semester in September and the programme runs over four (4) years.

Touching on his educational background, Mr Medupe said his educational journey began in 2003 at Tonota Primary School and went through several schools.

“In 2005-8 I transferred to Seaseole Primary in Letlhakane, later on to Bathoen 1 House in Orapa and completed my PSLE at Kgabo Sereto Primary School in Mochudi during the year 2009, where I attained grade A,” he said.

He said he was admitted at Linchwe II Community Junior Secondary where he did his form 1&2 before skipping a grade in 2010-2011.

Mr Medupe said skipping a grade turned out well for him as he attained a grade B.

“For my senior schooling, I went to Molefi Secondary still in Mochudi (2012-13), where I attained 40 points. As I waited for my results (January-May 2014) I enrolled for a certificate programme (Certificate in Procurement & Supply Principles) with the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, which I conquered as well before beginning my Advanced Diploma In Business Management in May 2014 at The Botswana Business School (BAC) and later on advanced to complete a diploma supplement with Sheffield Hallam University (the two schools have a strategic partnership),” stated Mr Medupe.

He said as he tried to seek employment  whilst waiting for his final results in May 2017, he got to explore his other interests.

“I am very social media savvy. This led to the birth of CurateBW & CurateZA, which I am proud to say are my babies. These platforms are youth based and highly active on twitter, mainly discussing the opinions of our peers on current affairs (socio-economic), with a different individual’s opinion each week. From that I got into freelance Digital Marketing Strategies, offering my services to already existing SMEs and a few individuals. I graduated in December 2017 holding a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Business Management,” he said, adding that all these achievements were possible with the support he got from his family and contacts.

On what advice he could give to his peers that tried out for the Mandela Centennial Scholarship and did not make it, Mr Medupe reminded them that as individuals, an unsuccessful attempt of securing such an opportunity should not deter them from trying for other similarly beneficial opportunities.

Mr Medupe shared his thoughts on the tertiary landscape in Botswana.

He said as a beneficiary of tertiary education in Botswana, it was necessary to prepare learners for the work environment as well as the entrepreneurial aspect.

“The school I went to really emphasized on having industry-ready graduates. But the responsible institutions should really have an eye on authenticating and verifying the qualifications of different personnel acting as change agents and educators,” he said, indicating that the issue of some schools having cases of fraud over qualifications does not appeal and ruins the national brand reputation with regards to education and governance. ENDS