02 Dec 2018

Digital transformation has the ability to catapult the society into a much more advanced socio-economic state.

Giving a keynote address at the ground breaking of the new Orange Botswana Data Centre in Gaborone on November 30, Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane says said digital transformation was fundamental in doing business either as government, Multinational Corporation or even small business enterprises (SMEs).

He said digital transformation approach was therefore vital for business survival and could enable those who move far in the proverbial pack to get ahead of their competitors.

To succeed as a country in the digital era, the Vice President said there should be a shared digitalisation master plan between government and private organisations, adding that increased productivity was by far the surest bet to revive and revitalise Botswana’s economy.

“Elsewhere it has been found that digitalisation, other than enhancing the quality of work, actually could improve productivity by between 25 and 30 per cent,” he quipped.

Mr Tsogwane said every nation needed to become a digital society and everyone should have easy access to information as well as public services through digital means, hence government’s support for digital initiatives such as Orange Botswana Data Centre.

He congratulated Orange Botswana and Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) for what was set to be an incredible journey in the development of Orange Botswana Data Centre, which is located at the heart of Botswana Innovation Hub and Technology Park.

He said that harmonious effort between public and private sector was paramount towards meaningful sustainable development, hence he commended Orange Botswana and BIH for the substantive investment, which was set not only to bring benefits after its completion, but also job creation for local service businesses.

He encouraged Orange Botswana and the BIH to continue seeking more investment opportunities together, adding that a key principle of NDP 11, with regard to development of information and communication technology, was a focus on achieving connected communities.

This, he said, allowed the nation to foster a knowledge-based society premised on the seven pillars of Maitlamo, the National ICT policy.

The Vice President reminisced that during NDP 10, the country sought to use ICT to realise efficiency in business transactions, public governance and in implementing the economic diversification drive.

“However, as we introduced NDP 11, the focus is attaining a knowledge based society and this is expected to improve connectivity in schools, ICT literacy among the population, access delivery of public services and ease of doing business in Botswana,” he said.

Mr Tsogwane said in the banking space, there was enhanced digital banking platforms while in telecommunications, there were new ways of consuming data and voice through innovations such as Orange Money, which bridged the gap between two spheres and also ensured a level of financial inclusion previously unknown.

He said earlier this year, Orange Foundation announced that digital education was a major priority for the organisation and that Orange Botswana would this year continue its efforts of digitising the local education system in partnership with Ministry of Basic Education. ENDS