17 May 2022

Botswana ambassador to Germany, Ms Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba has commended Germany for its  impressive and robust vocational training.

Ms Masire-Mwamba who is in the country for the heads of mission consultative forum said in an interview that Germany had managed to develop a dual system in vocational training by combining the benefits of classroom-based and on-the-job training.

This , she said afforded the country to meet her economy’s demand for highly qualified personnel.

Thus, she said Botswana’s education curriculum could learn a lot from the German system in an effort to promote industrialisation which translated into job creation as well as  to boost the economic.

“One of the key pillars in the two countries’ development trajectory entails continuously developing their human capital.,” she said

She said the German education system produced both white-collar jobs graduates and vocational streams ready for the industrial job market.

“Botswana admires how Germany has managed to develop a vocational training ,” she said.

She acknowledged the role that Germany was playing in transforming the Technical and Vocational Training (TVET), adding that the upgrading would be beneficial in the transformation drive to a knowledge-based economy.

“The development of productive human capital through effective vocational training is the right remedy for transforming Botswana,” she added

With the embassy still in its infancy and barely 10 years on the ground, Ms Masire-Mwamba said the strategy was to position Botswana as a destination of choice for German investors.

To promote Botswana’s interest in Germany, Ms Masire-Mwamba said the embassy was also focusing on the expansion of the broader local economic development.

“Germany being among some of the most industrialied countries in the world, it is thus of paramount importance to find ways through which the embassy can benchmark on their industrialisation drive and come up with tailor-made ideas that can work best for Botswana,” she said.

She said lack of any historical linkage between the two countries, however, made it even more difficult for Botswana to breakthrough to the German investors, especially with language as a major hindrance.

She thus said it was equally important for the embassy to go on a cultural diplomacy promotion drive to showcase Botswana’s culture and norms to the German community.

“We already have a celebrated chef by the name of Mr David Seeletso based in Poland, who through him the embassy is able to profile the Setswana cuisine and further promote cultural diplomacy.

I must also highlight one of Motswana songbird Ms Mpho Sebina has previously won a German music award,” she said. ENDS