28 Mar 2022

Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH) acting chief executive officer, Mr Tshepo Tsheko, is hopeful that NantBotswana will benefit from expertise of companies already housed at the hub.

Giving an overview of BDIH  recently, he said companies housed at the hub were continually engaged through workshops to enhance their knowledge. 

“Some of the companies already in hub will benefit NantBotswana in the fields of, among others, software development, internet services and access to indigenous knowledge relating to traditional medicine,” he added. 

BDIH, Mr Tsheko said, was using technology and innovation as tools to build the business sector.  

He said BDIH prioritised the use of ICT and biotechnology in finding solutions to health challenges, among other things. 

He said digital transformation was BDIH’s priority in driving the reset agenda and SmartBots. 

Mr Tsheko said it started as a project of the Botswana Excellence Strategy intended to move the country from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.

Eventually, the innovation hub project came into play, focusing on luring potential investors.

Mr Tsheko added that BDIH was a tenant for investors in various fields. 

“Our strategy goal is to house giants in the technological, research, development, production and manufacturing spaces,” he said.

He said NantBotswana would have an opportunity to test indigenous knowledge in traditional medicines and where possible, engage some of it in their projects. 

He said some of the indigenous knowledge was being tested at their laboratory to ensure that they were safe for human use.

In the recent past, Mr Tsheko said BDIH and the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology shared with the nation Indigenous Knowledge System Support Programme (IKSSP), which would be spearheaded by BDIH to bring together individuals and companies with related knowledge. 

He said through technology and innovation, indigenous knowledge could be used to move the economy forward and create employment and businesses.  Mr Tsheko said housing NantBotswana at BDIH would be like completing a puzzle that had been for long been put to halt due to the missing final piece.  

Though mandated to lure investors, Mr Tsheko applauded President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for raising the bar by capturing NantWorks. Ends