10 Aug 2026

Government has so far paid approximately P355 million (US$26 million) to the Steve Harvey Group for the first year of the Botswana Ignite project, with all first-year contractual deliverables having been met, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has heard.

Appearing before the PAC, on Thursday, acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Jeremiah Makgwa, said Botswana Ignite was a three-year partnership between the Steve Harvey Group and the Department of Broadcasting Services valued at more than P1 billion (US$79 million).

Mr Makgwa said the first-year deliverables included the remodelling of the Mass Media Complex auditorium and the installation of equipment, production of television content by the Steve Harvey Group, including Family Feud Botswana, as well as training sessions conducted across the country. He said all these obligations had been fulfilled.

He said progress on the second and third phases had stalled because of financial constraints affecting government projects, with the last recorded progress made on January 14, 2024. He said implementation would resume once funding became available in line with the contract.

Mr Makgwa also explained that Family Feud Botswana had initially been scheduled to be filmed in Botswana but was instead produced in South Africa because the planned set could not be constructed inside the Mass Media auditorium without compromising the structure during renovation works.

He, however, said the production crew was made up of Batswana and that the second phase of production would be undertaken in Botswana, as suitable locations had already been identified.

On political party funding, Mr Makgwa said the establishment of a committee tasked with developing guidelines on the allocation formula had delayed disbursements. He said the All Parties Conference committee had recently met and was expected to finalise the payment formula.

For the past two years, he said responsibility for allocating political party funding had rested with the Ministry of Finance. ENDS