21 Feb 2022

Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) is set to expand its campus grounds to make room for greater teaching and learning opportunities.

As the BAC institution prepares to transition to become a university, one of its strategic goals is to develop its infrastructure and expand its campuses to accommodate growth of the country’s educational market needs.

Speaking at the BAC campus groundbreaking ceremony in Gaborone recently, tertiary education, research, science and technology minister, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said the expansion and development of the BAC new campus was aligned to government’s national priorities and strategic objectives for 2022/23.

Dr Letsholathebe said government had been advocating for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for the development of the economy and was pleased that the project was a product of a PPP model between Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) and BAC.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank BPOPF for having found it fit to partner with BAC as part of the PPP initiative,” he said. He added that BPOPF was citizen-owned, therefore the development would directly benefit the citizens and the economy as a whole.

The minister further stated that as BAC prepared to transition into becoming a university, the development of the campus, which would include teaching and learning, recreational and administration spaces, would enable BAC to provide high quality facilities to enhance its teaching and learning environment.

He said it was expected that there would be growth in the number of students as well as improved output for both the students and the institution thereby contributing to the knowledge-based economy aspirations as espoused in the eleventh National Development Plan (NDP 11) and the National Vision 2036.

“One of the privileges is that this campus is situated in one of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) within the Fairgrounds Office Park, giving BAC a great opportunity to benefit from SEZs incentives,” he said. The minister highlighted that SEZ was rich with financial institutions across various spectrum of the industry and as a business school, BAC was strategically located.

For his part, BPOPF principal officer, Mr Moemedi Malindah said in an effort to support future generations of financial professionals, BPOPF, through its property asset manager, Letsema Property Investment Vehicle had collaborated with BAC by investing in the project.

Mr Malindah said the expansion would surely be a physical embodiment of the country’s growth and the infinite possibilities that laid ahead, BPOPF stood proud to be a part of a community of leaders that continued to lay the foundations of development and progress. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to

Botswana’s future generations of leaders through our investment in this institution,” he said.

Meanwhile, BAC board member and campus investments, Ms Franciscah Molefe said the institution’s board of directors, in 2019 had approved the proposed development of Plot 61922.

Ms Molefe expressed that the plot development would assist with expansion of BAC facilities and services as well as assist in managing and reducing rental cost base of the facilities the institution was currently leasing. She highlighted that the land was purchased from the Botswana Development Corporation in 2006 and measured 8 000 square meters.

“Today’s event adds to the remarkable milestones we have accomplished over the years and will be recorded in the history of BAC as one of the landmark victories during the celebration of our silver jubilee,” she said. The project, which commenced on November 22, 2021 and is expected to be completed at the end of October this year. ENDS