Letshego launches the LetsGo digital mastery programme
Corporate
Letshego Holding Limited (Letshego Group) has officially launched the LetsGo Digital Mastery Programme at an event held at Masa Protea Hotel in Gaborone. This follows their recent recruitment campaign for 10 candidates across Botswana, where over 1,000 applicants applied for the programme.
The Letshego Group is a truly African multinational organisation committed to achieving social impact through its retail financial services strategy across 11 sub Saharan markets. Letshego first opened its doors in Botswana 23 years ago and today has over 3,000 employees including Direct Sales Agents, or Digital Eagles.
Letshego customers include individuals, as well as micro and small entrepreneurs (MSEs). Letshego Holdings Limited (holding company) is listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange, with subsidiary listing on the Namibian stock exchange. Presence markets include Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana
Following the rigorous selection process of the candidates. 15 brilliant minds were announced for the enrolment in the programme, compromising 10 members of the public and 5 Letshego employees from across its 11 country footprint. This is part of Letshegos people-first strategy that aims to build future-fit communities where digital or tech is used as a strategic enabler for growth and economic development.
Today we confirm the successful candidates for Letshegos inaugural LetsGo Digital Mastery Programme, as you are our first COHORT of Digital Associates to our Digital mastery Programme in the region, you will be trail blazing a path and setting the standards for our future cohorts in Botswana, as well as our next Mastery cohorts set to launch in other Markets, said Letshegos Group Chairman Enos Banda.
Qualifying applicants demonstrated foundational digital expertise, and a passion to expand their aptitude into digital financial skills and hands on regional experience within the swiftly evolving financial sector.
By 2100 one in a three people will be African- this means that by the end of this century, our region, Sub Saharan Africa, will be home to almost half of the young people on the globe. Finding innovative ways to empower fellow Africans with digital and entrepreneurial skills will not only build future leaders but also support future economic growth, said Banda.
Recruitment was managed by Letshegos education and leadership training partner, Fast Forward innovation compromising a world class approach with a series of exercises, tests and interviews. Psychometric assessment were used to measurable, objective data and comprehensive view of suitability, enabling scientific credibility and objectivity in the selection process.
In congratulating the candidates Banda said that they are excited to welcome the 15 bright young individuals to LetsGo and they look forward to seeing them flourish and grow in to tomorrows bright young leaders. Banda further added that these Digital Associates have managed to navigate and process through a thorough and intense selection and today they are awarded their tickets to a journey that is destined and designed to open doors and dynamic opportunities for personal growth to ultimately brighten their future
This was followed by practical projects where candidates were introduced to Agile Methodology and tested on their digital ideas, personal planning and ability to deliver. Finally, the candidates were taken through a series of interviews with Letshego Executives to discuss potential, verify experience, qualifications, drive and organisational fit.
Letshegos Intern Group Chief Executive Aupa Monyatsi added that The LetsGo Digital Mastery Programme is a unique way they are extending the benefits of digital transformation outside of their organisation. Though this programme we are supporting the Botswana Governments objective to build a knowledge-based economy, as well as empowering individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets and skills to spur sustainable and innovative development to grow future leaders and benefit our nation, Monyatsi concluded.
The 18-months LetsGo Digital Mastery includes a practical learning sponsorship worth over P500, 000 per candidate to develop a digital business idea through training and practical learning. The candidate will gain expertise and become confident digital leaders with international exposure. At the end of the programme, the candidates will be enabled to grow innovative digital ideas from the sand box and ideation phase to a minimum viable product and to grow and scale existing business ideas by harnessing digital technologies.
Corporate
Orange Botswana Continues to Invest in the Youth Through Digital Schools Programme, Celebrating Thankane as 52nd School Engaged
In continued efforts to empower young students across Botswana through the Digital Schools Programme, Orange Botswana through the Orange Foundation don handed over digital equipment worth P53, 731.50 to Thankane Primary School, located in Jwaneng.
We are excited to be in Jwaneng and to see yet another milestone for impact being delivered. This relationship began with a view towards working together inclusively and sustainably – give children greater access to quality education. This is, after all, a key goal within our Vision 2036 and even of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is also core to our values and beliefs system at Orange Botswana. Our Digital Schools initiative is a true testament to the Orange Botswana Foundations unwavering commitment, loyalty, and support towards the youth of Botswana, said Benson Lenong from Orange Botswana.
Donated equipment includes but is not limited to:
- 50 tablets loaded with local syllabus content
- 50 headsets
- 1 Video projector
- 1 Raspberry servers
- 1 JBL Speaker
- 1 Laptop
- 1 Case (to contain the package)
The Orange Botswana Foundation, in partnership with the Government of the Republic Botswana, embarked on a quest to empower and educate the youth of the country through giving them better access to technology through Governments Education & Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP). Orange Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Basic Education and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in 2017, to kickstart a pilot of the Digital Schools Programme in 2018. The programme has seen 16,225 students benefiting from deployed schools, with 102 teachers trained in using digital kits as a mode of teaching. Thankane Primary is the 52nd school being engaged as part of the nationwide initiative.
The Orange Digital Schools Project is all about utilisation and integration of ICTs in learning, while at the same time addressing issues of digital inclusion and digital literacy. The Programme aims to bridge the digital gap by leveraging technology to improve access to education in primary schools such as Thankane.
Thankane Primary School was established in 1989 with 324 learners enrolled from Jwaneng and surrounding communities. The school continues to perform well in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), and consistently works to ensure children learn vital life lessons both inside and outside the classroom. As one of the highest-ranked academic schools in the South region, Thankane Primary boasts excellent academics, leadership, sports, and culture.
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BIUST confers degrees to 297 Graduands
The Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) last week held it 7th graduation since its inception with the theme Building a University of industry through a well-rounded ecosystem of economic transformation and innovative entrepreneurship. 297 students graduated from the class of 2022 compared to the 58 from their first graduation as an institution.
The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Aubrey Lesaso commended the University as the strides made in the midst of the difficult conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic with potentially devastating impact on the learning of students were thrilling. Some of the challenges experienced during this period include having to change the learning spaces the school was accustomed to, study remotely without adequate preparations and with limited resources, said Lesaso.
He acknowledged that the Government through his Ministry is committed to ensuring that they provide quality education to the citizens of Botswana, which is in line with one of the aspirations of Vision 2036 that addresses the need for Development of Human Capital.
I wish to call upon the BIUST leadership and all stakeholders involved, to remain dedicated to driving the BIUST mission and vision and contribute to achieving the targets outlined in the Vision 2036 National Transformation Agenda, added Lesaso.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Bulb World (PTY) Ltd, Ketshephaone Jacob noted that for decades entrepreneurs have been identified as the critical change agents in socio-economic development, and some countries have been a lot more intentional and successful in promoting enterprising. Its only in the last decade that our Government has put in concrete measures towards the citizen enterprising and this is where BIUST plays an integral role, not only in terms of provision of much needed manpower but also as a provider and stimulant of innovative solutions needed for todays smart manufacturing, said Jacob.
In addition to this, the Universitys Vice Chancellor, Professor Otlogetswe Totolo noted that BIUST has embraced innovative entrepreneurship as part of its core mandate. Innovation is our focus in promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, to not only encourage more innovations in the University, but to encourage innovations that bring sustainable development, he added.
The University has not only embraced innovative entrepreneurship but has enshrined it as its vision which states, to produce world class research and innovation in science, engineering and technology contributing to industry growth and development and advancement of a diversified knowledge-based economy.
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The Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme: Inspiring A More Resilient and Dexterous Tourism Entrepreneurs
It is said that challenging times bring to life the resilience of the human spirit and some of the most important innovations. The advent of COVID-19 brought tremendous challenges to the global economy, and the tourism sector was not spared.
It is during this period, that the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme was born. Ms. Tshepiso Mganga upon realising the need for tourism operators to get back on track after the slump leveraged her network to assemble a team of professionals across the various disciplines that are critical for the operation of a tourism enterprise. The programme has to date mentored and coached over 70 tourism and hospitality enterprises in Botswana. The programme imparts practical skills to aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to venture into the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as tourism businesses that are already in operation including but not limited to hotels, lodges, guest houses, mobile safari operators, travel agents, tour operators, and travel photographers. In addition, the benefits to start-ups include the enhancement of awareness on issues such as product development and branding, while existing businesses can use insights to reposition their brands and offerings in the market. The programme covers topics such as understanding the tourism value chain, what is takes to operate lodge in remote area, importance of belonging to an association, moving from idea to action, defining target markets, business planning, financial planning, developing digital marketing strategy, branding tourism business, business insurance, customer service excellence, design & guest experiences, travel show readiness.
The bi-weekly sessions are delivered virtually by several experts and professionals within the tourism industry, with the hope that there will be more in-person sessions in the future. The 3-month programme concluded with educational tours to Chobe Game Lodge. The tour brought practical elements to the programme learning, specifically on running a sustainable facility in a remote area. The tour demonstrated the value of environmental sustainability, with the participants being sensitised on level of investment that goes into developing and running an ecotourism product, including encapsulating aspects of reduce, re-use, and recycle in relation to all inputs of running the business. The participants also got to appreciate the return on investment of ecotourism in terms of reduction of costs of operations, enhanced profitability, as well as conservation of the ecosystem. The tour was sponsored by Desert & Delta Safaris, who have been a valuable partner of the programme.
The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) is another valuable partner, and this year (2022), sponsored thirteen (13) participants to be part of the programme.
The programme is sponsored by City & Safari International, a Destination Management Company (DMC) established in 2017. City & Safari International specialises in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions, as well as luxury safari planning & bookings covering Botswana and extending to Cape Town, Livingstone, Victoria, and Namibia.
The next cohort is scheduled for 13 May to 30 July 2023. Further information will be shared on Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme Facebook and Instagram pages.
Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme
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