18 Mar 2026

The Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs is accelerating comprehensive reviews of key youth empowerment programmes.

The exercise forms part of a wider push to enhance skills development, economic inclusion and gender mainstreaming amid persistent high youth unemployment.

The review, which would also cover the National Youth Policy, is extended to among other programmes, Youth Development Fund (YDF) and the Botswana National Service Programme (Tirelo Setshaba).

Recent data from Statistics Botswana’s 2024/25 Multi-Topic Household Survey indicated that youth unemployment (ages 15–35) stands at 28.9 per cent, increasing from 25.1 per cent in 2015/16.

Broader or narrower measures often cite figures approaching or exceeding 38-44 per cent, underscoring the urgency of the ongoing reforms as a core priority for the current administration in tackling job creation and sustainable livelihoods.

In an interview, Ms Thapelo Gasemotho, District Coordinator for Youth and Gender Affairs in Kanye, shared the YDF review emphasised government Return On Investment (ROI), focusing on local recovery, loss minimisation and programme sustainability in order to benefit more citizens.

She said the proposed innovation included structured mentorship through business matchmaking to provide ongoing handholding, sharpening skills, boosting productivity, generation of employment and support to national GDP growth.

Ms Gasemotho highlighted previous shortcomings such as a uniform approach that ignored constituency-specific opportunities and capital needs, adding that the review also prioritises stronger affirmative action for persons with disabilities to promote true inclusion.

Meanwhile, she said during the 2024/25 financial year, Kanye East approved and funded 15 businesses valued at P1,492,128.71, while Kanye West funded 28 businesses with a combined value of over P2,768,832.94.

“Each constituency was allocated P3 million,” she said.

She reiterated that monitoring remained constrained by government-wide financial limitations, including shortages of vehicles and travel budgets. However, she said the district had responded by prioritising accessible businesses and developing a targeted visit schedule.

Even though monitoring of projects was constrained by resource and financial limitations, Ms Gasemotho said through diagnostic assessments, they had identified enterprise challenges and proposed remedies.

“For complex issues, the ministry partnered with the Local Enterprise Authority and Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency for specialised interventions,” she added.

YDF currently funds youth businesses for P100 000, which is 50 per cent grant and 50 per cent loan.

As for Tirelo Sechaba, Ms Gasemotho said the review would evaluate relevance, particularly on whether the attachments delivered practical experience for improved temporary employment.

The programme served out-of-school youth with form five qualification and below, the unemployed, and those under the age of 30 years.

She said Kanye District currently has 448 Tirelo Setshaba participants attached to government offices, schools, clinics, councils and similar entities.

Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs senior gender officer, Ms Onneile Tauyatswala said reviewing the National Policy on Gender and Development was meant to strengthen gender mainstreaming nationwide.

Ms Tauyatswala said consultations with all relevant stakeholders including civil servants, Dikgosi, religious bodies, gender organisations and the public were ongoing.

Additionally, she said the department had received approval to draft a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Bill, to address prevention, protection and support GBV more comprehensively.

Ms Tauyatswala said the interconnected reforms demonstrated the minsitry’s dedication to adaptive, inclusive policies that empowered youth and advanced gender equality in Botswana’s changing economic environment.

She said the ministry was seeking to equip young people and marginalised groups for resilient livelihoods while advancing national development objectives. ENDS