27 Oct 2025

The unified government e-services platform, which is currently being implemented, is expected to enhance the digitalisation drive across all sectors of the economy and offer an efficient and convenient way of accessing public services.

Through its associated infrastructure and initiatives, the project will also stimulate research and innovation, thereby realising the government’s aspirations of creating 100,000 decent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) jobs by 2030.

Presenting the Digitalisation chapter of the draft National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12), the Minister of Communications and Innovation Mr David Tshere said the situation called for adequate capacity building and investing in enabling infrastructure to create a digital economy.

He said plans were underway to connect government services through modern technologies and capacitate employees to close service delivery gaps.

“This will include hosting capability, connecting of government sites and offices through modern technologies, addressing obsolete systems and applications and capacity and capability of IT employees of government. This will address the perennial system down issue that has caused poor service delivery over time,” he said.

He said government would explore the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and transaction based cost models to drive the digital services. In an endeavour to expand access to broadband internet services, the minister noted that resilient network routes would be built during NDP 12 to connect various parts of the country to the internet.

He also said enhancing internet services availability and accessibility would be achieved by replacing obsolete components and upgrading the networks. He also said his ministry would spearhead public campaigns to promote the use of digital services and enhance local solution in the digital space.

“To ensure widespread adoption, my ministry will launch awareness campaigns with the introduction of annual Digital Citizens Forums and incentives that promote digital service usage, especially among marginalised communities," he said.

He said innovation hubs, incubators, digital sandboxes and digital service centres would be established in collaboration with the private sector to foster local tech talent and develop home-grown solutions to Botswana’s context.

Mr Tshere said government has developed the one-Gov one-Citizen platform and its associated services, which was achieved through an open source based approach led by a local developer.

He said his ministry would make use of the internal processes for project formulation, contacting and management to improve the service to local companies. He said in addition to being aligned with the national development goals, the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms would be sustainable and cost-effective.

Additionally, Mr Tshere said investing in research and development was essential for creating a digital economy. Consequently, he said the government was committed to establishing a National Research and Innovation Council aimed at overseeing funding and promoting collaboration between public and private research and innovation stakeholders.

He underscored the need for research collaborations with regional and international partners to augment the government’s efforts.

Minister Tshere noted that while the newly approved Digital Services and Cyber Security Bills were the lead legal statutes in establishing structures for implementing the sector’s digitalisation drive, plans were underway for the development and immediate implementation of the digitalisation instruments.

“Specifically, holistic national digitalisation instruments are planned for development and implementation effective immediately. These measures are intended to catalyse innovation, enhance service delivery and expand citizen access to safe and secure, efficient digital services in line with government’s vision of building a digitally empowered knowledge-based economy,” he said.

Furthermore, the Minister said the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence (AI), in conjunction with the ICT Roadmap will improve access to government services to rural and marginalised communities, in the process closing the distance gap. ENDS