12 Nov 2026

Ked-Liphi Global, a Botswana-based innovation and technology enterprise, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Gaborone on 27 November with a gala dinner that will also mark the official launch of its next-generation product, the Chedza Scholar Pro Solar Backpack.

The event, themed: A Decade of Innovation & Impact, is expected to bring together over 200 delegates from government institutions, private-sector organisations, development partners, educational institutions, investors and civil society to reflect on ten years of African-led technological solutions and explore pathways for scaling the new product.Founded in 2016, Ked-Liphi Global specialises in electronic engineering, renewable energy, smart technologies and artificial intelligence.

Chief executive officer Mr Kedumetse Liphi said the company focuses on practical, commercially viable solutions to challenges facing African communities, with particular emphasis on education, clean energy and community empowerment.

Mr Liphi said the Chedza Scholar Pro builds on the company’s earlier Chedza Solar Backpack initiative. Chedza means ‘light’ in Setswana, reflecting the product’s core purpose of bringing light, opportunity and access to learning resources to students, especially those in underserved and rural communities.

He explained that the backpack integrates several technologies into a single school bag. An integrated solar panel charges an internal rechargeable battery that powers a portable LED light for evening study and provides USB charging for compatible devices.

The bag also includes a wireless microphone designed to capture classroom audio, subject to school rules, consent and privacy requirements, together with an AI-enabled digital learning platform that can convert recorded lessons into text, generate summaries and offer supplementary explanations and revision support.

“These features address interconnected challenges including limited access to electricity for after-dark study, the digital learning divide, difficulty capturing and revisiting classroom lessons, and the environmental impact of traditional lighting methods such as candles and paraffin lamps,” Mr Liphi said.

He added that the product is intended to complement teachers and existing learning materials rather than replace them, noting that the availability of specific AI functions will depend on software configuration, connectivity and product version.

Mr Liphi said Ked-Liphi Global positions the Chedza Scholar Pro as contributing to Botswana’s Vision 2036 goals of building a knowledge-based society, strengthening human capital development and promoting innovation.

He added that it also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education), Goal 7 of affordable and clean energy and Goal 13 which speaks to issues of climate action.

Further, he said it aligns well with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 aspirations for quality education, science and technology, renewable energy, youth empowerment and inclusive industrialisation.

The company has expressed interest in engaging partners, including UNICEF and education stakeholders on school-based pilot programmes, technical assessment, child safeguarding, accessibility and impact measurement.“The Chedza Scholar Pro is therefore more than a product launch. It represents a commitment to exploring how clean energy and responsible technology can work together to improve the learning experience,” Mr Liphi emphasised. ENDS