16 Oct 2023

Individual development has been identified as a pinnacle of all the changes that will inject life into the country’s economy.

Speaking at the EU Botswana Business Forum and Global Expo on the #PUSHABW and the A RE CHENCHENG initiative, Chief of Staff and the driver of the Mindset Change campaign, Mr Boyce Sebetela, said the necessary change would be realised when all the players, the business and customers were doing their part.

Mr Sebetela said it was unfortunate to observe that the challenges to the country’s GDP were perpetuated by failure to instigate positive mindset. He said it was important to understand what to change to positively influence the development of the economy of Botswana, adding that individuals were the initial creators of wealth.

He said it was important to understand that government spent a lot of money on public administration which was taking the highest share of the country’s budget at 20 per cent. He said other important sectors which would add value to the country’s economy by cutting the import bill such as the manufacturing sector were still operating at low level of six per cent.

Mr Sebetela said a lion share of what was sold to the outside was in the form of raw materials, at 80 per cent of which rough diamonds was at 67 per cent. Therefore, he said, a change in mindset would change the current makeup of the GDP and export level.

“We need to change mindset and the way we do business,” he said.

Mr Sebetela said in May 2022, President Mokgweetsi Masisi launched the Reset Agenda initiative which emphasised on mindset change.

He said taking things for granted and abandoning that which used to work for the nation had impacted negatively on the growth of Botswana.

He spoke of an urgent need to change the reception for investors so that they are impressed by what they encounter upon arrival. Mr Sebetela said scholars in human psychology were of the view that there were two types of mindsets being growth and fixed mindset. He said the growth mindset will believe in making change with the never give-up mentality, while the fixed mindset will be of the view that as a landlocked country, Botswana was never favoured by God, therefore was doomed and will never prosper.

Mr Sebetela said the #PUSHABW campaign will be driven by change in mindset. He said it was important to have national pride and take pride in the food tourism and sell the local cuisine to the world.

He added that cultural values were important in creating wealth. He said people were shunning them as they were believed to be in the past and by so doing missing out on possibilities of creating wealth.

Mr Sebetela said called for collaboration and team work value in doing business, further emphasising that doing business alone would not take anyone far.

“We are strong when we pull together with combined efforts and resources,” he said. “Cooperatives and business associates will work for us. Without change we will remain weak and small and never grow global retailers.” ENDS