Tumelo Mapila Perfects His Elevator Pitch and Launches Focus Surveys Onto Essential Global Networks

The Elevator Pitch Whizz-Kid Tumelo Mapila.

A savvy master of his craft, doyen of the succinct, powerful and persuasive sales pitch.

One of the worlds celebrated scientists and Nobel Prize (Physics) laureate, Albert Einstein is credited for saying, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” In present day’s fiercely competitive and fast paced world, entrepreneurs are increasingly required to master the art of the elevator pitch to convey their business idea in a clear, succinct and compelling manner to potential investors, mentors or clients.

The elevator pitch denotes the rare opportunity entrepreneurs have to ignite interest in their business idea or product. It is a brief, persuasive speech that does not last longer than a short elevator ride of 15-to-30 seconds, hence the name.    

In an article written in the America business magazine, Forbes, Kristi Hedges states that, “There’s a well-told adage that you only get one chance to make a first impression. From personal relationships to business meetings, we’re taught that people form opinions of us in a few moments, and that we should be ready to show our best at all times.” On both sides of an exchange, and with every new encounter, one is evaluated and yet another person's impression of us is formed.

In business, making good first impression with potential investors, mentors or clients allows one to, “Maximise their connection in a minimal amount of time and start making valuable additions to their network from the get-go,” says author and coach in the leadership and life skills space, Todd Dewett. He goes on to say these first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making the first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follows.

Budding local entrepreneur Tumelo Mapila has adopted Einstein’s wisdom and the culture of making impressive first impressions as one of his personal and business life’s enduring lessons and guiding principles. Mapila lives by the ethos of author and motivational speaker, John Calvin Maxwell who asserts that, “Your network is your net worth.”

Building and nurturing strong business networks is important for supporting personal and enterprise advancement as it earns entrepreneur’s social capital, which compares to money in the bank.  A strong network can help one build visibility, connect with influencers, and open up doors for new opportunities. “Networking is a valuable way of expanding one’s knowledge and learning from the success of others, gaining new perspective and fresh insights, as well as raising one’s profile, expanding one’s sphere of influence and meeting prospective business partners, suppliers, customers and staff,” says Mapila.     

Growing up in Botswana’s thriving democracy and burgeoning economy, Mapila was acutely aware of the contradictions presented by the opportunities the prosperous country availed to its citizens and the hardships and sacrifices his doting civil servant mother endured to give him and his siblings a decent life. With a taste for the refined things in life, the young man was very clear, from a very tender age of the type of life he wanted to live. Having watched the rough and tumble experienced by his entrepreneur uncle and the amazing rewards he enjoyed for his patience and hard work, Mapila was convinced he was not cut out for the 8am to 5pm work regime. He concluded that, entrepreneurship was where he belonged.

The road to entrepreneurship is however, never easy and at one point Mapila joined the heart-wrenching ranks of the country’s youthful job seekers in the unemployment trenches. “This was one of the lowest points of my life from which I suffered bouts of depression,” he states. He goes on to say it was at this point that his uncle threw him a lifeline when he took him under his wings and helped him establish his own company. The mentorship provided invaluable guidance and lessons that helped him develop and grow his entrepreneurial skills.     

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug at an early age, Mapila went on to overcome the initial stumbling challenges and become the founding CEO of All Bosses (Pty) Ltd. The company offers research consultancy services that engage innovative data collection and analytic technologies. All Bosses flagship service offering is Focus Surveys, a dynamic and robust intelligent data collection and analysis reporting service. 

Businesses - in general and startups in particular - face a myriad of challenges. The lack of business experience and the wherewithal to get the right exposure and make the essential business networks can stifle and may even kill off a budding enterprise. American policymaker, academic and director of the project on Technology, the Economy, and National Security (TENS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David Edelman says, “It’s a false economy to put your faith in customers discovering you unless you make a concerted effort to grow them with a proper structured plan to promote your startup.”

This is one lesson Tumelo learnt earlier on in his entrepreneurial journey of self-discovery. He learnt that in present days highly competitive business world, an international outlook and collaborative approach are some of the critical requirements that underpin a vibrant startup ecosystem. He testifies that, “Networking and brand awareness are two of the critical business development components that have promoted and grown this enterprise.”

He says the story of his company’s life began with the establishment of Focus Surveys in 2013. After a difficult and painful start, the company got a break when it was engaged to do data collection and analyses for the country’s premier business to business (B2B) exhibition and conference, The Global Expo in 2015. That being their first major job, they went all out to make a bold statement and prove to the client that they were more than capable to execute the task on time and within budget. Mapila boasts that their final submission to client was exceptional to the extent that they were later invited to present their report to The Global Expo executive committee which affirmed their credibility and assured them of future jobs.

Mapila’s first encounter with Botswana Innovation Hub was through the company’s technology entrepreneurship development programme, First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC) when in 2013 he participated in one of the programmes pitch sessions. The pitch sessions accord entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their business ideas to prospective investors, mentors and collaborators. “Participation in the FSVC pitch sessions gave us increased confidence and launched us further into the local and regional market,” he says.

Botswana Innovation Hub is an innovative and networked company that promotes technology, entrepreneurship and commercialisation on a purpose built Science and Technology Park. Around this, Botswana Innovation Hub is building opportunities in tenancy, membership, a globally-connected innovation ecosystem, and world-class client services. Emboldened by the roaring success of their maiden participation in the FSVC pitch session, Mapila enrolled Focus Surveys into the technology entrepreneurship development programme and went on to benefit from an array of the programmes service bouquet. These include, hot desking, business advisory, brand activation and publicity, technology entrepreneurs coaching and mentoring, and match making which connects start-ups with the right business partners.

In March 2017 Botswana Innovation Hub collaborated with DEMO Africa in an initiative that sought to provide local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to pitch at the DEMO Africa competition which was held in South Africa that year. DEMO Africa is a product of a partnership between The U.S. Department of State, Microsoft, DEMO, USAID and Startup Weekend called Liberalizing Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA) Partnership. LIONS@FRICA seeks to connect African startups to the global ecosystem though its flagship programme, DEMO Africa. 

Focus Surveys participated in the DEMO Africa grand finals in September 2017 and emerged victorious in the prestigious local pitching competition. The company went on to participate at the DEMO Africa competition in South Africa where although they did not emerge in the top five finalists of the of the fiercely contested regional competition, Mapila’s sterling performance at the DEMO Africa competition earned his company a slot on the LIONS@FRICA Innovation Tour which was held earlier this year in Silicon Valley, California from February 10^th till 18^th 2018. An Angel Investor was convinced by Mapila’s Elevator Pitch and saw the relevance and growth opportunity in Focus Surveys and pledged to sponsor the company to participate in the prestigious StartUp Grind competition.

The LIONS@FRICA Innovation Tour is focused on knowledge sharing with leading Silicon Valley stakeholders and networking opportunities that are intended to yield deeper engagement between the company and potential partners. While in the U.S., the company participated in a series of events including StartUp Grind, and other curated side events across the Silicon Valley ecosystem. This presented Mapila with multiple opportunities to pitch his company’s products, services and technologies to select groups of investors, industry leaders, diaspora groups and expert panels.  

Prior to the Silicon Valley excursion, Mapila had participated in another pitching competition organized through the Botswana Innovation Hub partnership with the Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme (SAiS). In that competition known as SLUSH, Mapila put up an awesome performance as always and went on to win the local edition of the SLUSH 2017 pitching competition. He proceeded to represent the country at the finals of the global pitching competition in Helsinki, Finland. SLUSH is a startup and tech event that facilitates founder and investor annual meetings with the aim of building a world-wide startup community that helps the next generation of great, world-conquering companies move forward.

Mapila’s journey to success is testimony that a refined Elevator Pitch can open business opportunities and that indeed one’s network is their net worth. The exposure of an enterprise earns it social capital which is an essential resource in the knowledge-based economy and as DEMO Africa executive producer, Harry Hare affirms, “The entries this year certainly kept up with the DEMO Africa spirit to produce innovative and creative ideas that are bound to transform the technology landscape and we are excited by the growth of innovation and technological advancement in Africa as portrayed by our finalists.”

Focus Surveys latest feat confirms Mapila as master of his craft. The young man knows his story and he can break it down for you clearly and convincingly in less than a minute. He is the undisputed national champion of The Elevator Pitch. Having conquered the local and regional scene, Mapila has now joined the elite global league where he hobnobs with the world’s best at Silicon Valley. Thanks to FSVC for identifying, developing and nurturing this technology-oriented startup business to grow into international markets.

Mapila concludes, “I am grateful for the opportunities received through Botswana Innovation Hub’s technology entrepreneurship development programme. The many pitch sessions we have participated in, including The DEMO Africa and SLUSH competitions have helped us polish our pitching skills and provided invaluable experiences that exposed us to different networks and a globally connected innovation ecosystem.”

A Silver Lining Emerges For Technology Entrepreneurs As the National Innovation Fund Committee Takes Office

Entrepreneur Larry Alton says entrepreneurs face many challenges in today’s ultra-competitive business world. “Entrepreneurship comes with a host of challenges, rewarding challenges, but harsh challenges nonetheless.” He says although the potential rewards for entrepreneurship are great, starting a new business at a young age is especially fraught with risk. For younger people, the challenges are unique, multiplied and particularly difficult to overcome. Lack of experience, inadequate financial resources, and a lack of self-confidence all contribute in one way or another to make it tougher for a young entrepreneur than an older counterpart.

Almost all new ventures require seed capital to support the business through the first rocky months or even years until it can generate cash and turn a profit. This initial investment may come from several sources such as personal savings, love money or soft loans from family and friends, venture capital and angel investors as well as government grants and subsidies.

In small developing economies like Botswana, innovative and talented entrepreneurs struggle to find seed funding from local investors. The Bloomberg U.S. Startup Barometer points to rigid regulations, lagging economies and the high risks of doing business in Africa as factors responsible for the low appetite of venture capitalists and angel investors in these markets. Botswana’s appeal for backup and risk capital for startups is no different.

To close this gap, the government of Botswana in line with the country’s key national priorities of spearheading the drive to using innovation as a lever for economic growth, established Botswana Innovation Hub to coordinate the establishment of a functional and integrated national innovation ecosystem. Key to this development is the creation of a National Innovation Fund that promotes innovation through technology, products and business development in the private sector by providing cash grants to companies and organisations registered with Botswana Innovation Hub.

Established under the Finance Management Act. Statutory Instrument Number 93 of 2017, the National Innovation Fund was created to close the existing gap in early stage financing for key projects of national relevance in the private sector. The fund will specifically, provide cash grants to companies or organisations registered with the Botswana Innovation Hub which may subcontract part of the development work to universities and research organisations. In addition, the National Innovation Fund serves to encourage companies and organisations awarded funds to transfer skills to citizen employees by providing cash grants to be utilised for institutional training and on the job training programmes.

To this end, a governance structure for the administration of the National Innovation Fund has been set up with Botswana Innovation Hub assuming the secretarial role and administrative office of the Fund and a National Innovation Fund Committee has been appointed to provide crucial oversight role in the Funds establishment and implementation.   

Speaking at the announcement of the Committee members, the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Alfred Madigele said, “Government is spearheading the drive to use innovation as a trajectory for economic growth. To this end the establishment of the National Innovation Fund would assist to close a gap in early stage financing for key projects of national importance.”

“Government has set aside P12 million pula to be used for funding projects in the current financial year and we have put in place a robust governance framework to allow evaluation and awards from this fund,” he announced.

The Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Dr. Alfred Madigele (Seated centre) flanked by DPS MoTE Dr. Kekgonne Baipoledi (L) and MD at Fiducia Services, Dr. Thapelo Matsheka. Standing in the back row (L - R) UB VC Prof. David Norris, Fund Coordinator, Sithembile Dingake, Investment Principal at NORSAD, Oteng Sebonego and Botswana Innovation Hub CEO, Alan Boshwaen.

Not included in the picture is GM Botswana Vaccine Institute, Dr George Matlho.  

The National Innovation Fund Committee consists of five independent members of the public as well as representation from the private sector and the business community. Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi assumes the Chairmanship of the committee. With a career spanning over 25 years, Dr Baipoledi has previously held various senior positions within government, specifically at the Ministry of Agriculture where he has held the posts of Head of National Veterinary Laboratories, Deputy Director, Veterinary Services and Deputy Permanent Secretary responsible for Technical Services.

General Manager of Botswana Vaccine Institute, Dr. George Matlho has been roped in from industry. Dr Matlho possesses vast experience spanning over many years within the veterinary sector with emphasis on research and business development.  He has previously held a number of senior positions at Botswana Vaccine Institute and Department of Animal Health and Production.

Dr Thapelo Matsheka has been appointed to the Committee from the private sector. Dr Matsheka is currently Managing Director at Fiducia Services Limited. He is an economist and an academic with vast experience from the University of Botswana before pioneering the establishment of the government-funded Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) as Chief Executive Officer. He later moved from CEDA to Aon Botswana as the Managing Director prior assuming his current position.

Representing academia is Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana, Prof David Norris. Previous to his appointment at UB, Professor Norris was Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation at BIUST.  Prof Norris has more than 20 years in Research and Innovation where he has published extensively and attracted much research funding. Before his appointment to BIUST, Prof Norris worked in different positions in Botswana, South Africa and the USA.

Also representing the private sector on the Committee is Oteng Sebonego. Sebonego is currently Investment Principal at NORSAD Finance and Founder at CabIT Africa an innovative venture. He bring on board, broad experience in assessment of project investments portfolio to ascertain their commercial level readiness. His experience in business enterprise development spans from both a local and regional perspective.

Heading the National Innovation Fund secretariat as Innovation Fund Coordinator is Sithembile Dingake. Dingake is trained in financial management and has worked extensively in the banking industry, development and enterprise finance and in fund management in Botswana and South Africa. Her experience straddles organizations such as Enablis Finance Corporation, Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and Barclays Bank.       

Among the Innovation Fund Committees roles and responsibilities is the approval of the fund guidelines, procedures for operation of the Fund, approval of grant application processes and subsequent applications. The Committee will also be responsible for appointment of special experts, auditors and receiving and approving of reports from audits, programme evaluation reports and reports on grant applications and approvals.

Hon. Dr Madigela said, “The Fund’s grant scheme shall follow an annual plan approved for implementation each year with agreed set targets. The criteria for funding shall take into consideration several factors which include Intellectual Property (IP), sustainability, social impact and scalability among others. He emphasized that the Fund is intended to provide grant funding to deserving projects which promote innovation through technology, product and business development in the private sector.”

Botswana Innovation Hub target sectors are Mining Technologies, Clean Technologies, BioTechnologies, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Knowledge Intensive Business Services.

Hon. Dr Madigele urged the Committee to, “Hit the ground running to ensure that the first grants are disbursed during the current financial year to give financial support to eligible entrepreneurs in the technology and innovation space.”  

Kago Kgosietsile - The Sturdy Hand At The Core of Botswana Innovation Hub’s Service Delivery

Kago Kgosietsile

Science and Technology Parks are inherently networked physical places that are managed in a manner designed to support university-industry and government collaboration with the intent of creating high technology economic development and advancing knowledge. Mainstream business literature defines networking as a socioeconomic business activity by which business people and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures. Networking helps business people to build their social capital.

“Business networking is an effective low-cost marketing method for developing sales opportunities and contacts, based on referrals and introductions - either face-to-face at meetings and gatherings, or by other contact methods such as phone, email, and increasingly social and business networking websites,” says world-renowned author, marketing expert, start-up advisor, and public speaker, Porter Gale.

In her book, Your Network Is Your Net Worth: Unlock the Hidden Power of Connections for Wealth, Success, and Happiness in the Digital Age, Gale asserts that a strong network is like money in the bank. “Networks can help one build visibility, connect with influencers, and open up doors for new opportunities. Building and nurturing a network is one of the most powerful things one can do to support their career advancement or build business growth,” she states.

Gale goes on to say that businesses function when they have customers or clients, and businesses survive and expand when they have good client service. Customer service is an extremely important part of maintaining ongoing client relationships, which are key to continuing revenue. Gale defines good client service as largely a matter of placing the customer first and making business decisions that allow the company to respond to market changes and provide customers with the best service possible.

At Botswana Innovation Hub, all employees are expected to contribute towards aquiring, enhancing, and retaining the company’s clients. However, the role of fostering business networks and handling the wide variety of customer inquiries, providing issue resolution, client communication, and overall customer satisfaction rests with Kago Kgosietsile. Buried somewhere in the makeup of Botswana Innovation Hub cadre is this unsung heroine who executes her duties quietly, calmly and diligently. Kago is the Client Relations Officer at Botswana Innovation Hub. She is essentially responsible for managing and protecting the relationship between the company and its clients.

Botswana Innovation Hub is incorporated as a company to develop and manage the country’s first Science and Technology Park. One of the company’s strategic objectives is to promote networking and collaboration between academia, public and private sectors in order to enhance innovation capacity. The company strives, “To serve the people of Botswana through a creative and networked innovation system which supports the goals of strengthening knowledge, productivity, competitiveness and economic diversification, leading to more resilient wealth creation, while being mindful to protect the environment.”  

Botswana Innovation Hub is a member driven company which offers a suite of benefits for eligible registered members. The benefits include a concessionary 15% corporate tax rate; access to a range of technology transfer and commercialistation services; access to a technology entrepreneurship development programme; eligibility to import skills and personnel under special dispensation and networking, research and technical collaboration opportunities locally and internationally. 

Botswana Innovation Hub CEO Alan Boshwaen says, “Networks and collaborations are the DNA of the company.  They form the fabric of Botswana Innovation Hub as they help business people connect with other managers and entrepreneurs to further each other’s business interests by forming mutually beneficial business relationships.” Boshwaen goes on to say as a part a pioneering outfit and leader in the economic partnerships that drive development, good client, or customer, service should be the hallmark of Botswana Innovation Hub.

Since joining Botswana Innovation Hub in July 2012, Kago has worked tirelessly setting up processes and procedures that coordinate all registration and Botswana Innovation Hub member support activities. Her duties include developing and implementing best practices for registration and member support in accordance with strategic and operational plans for Botswana Innovation Hub. “I am responsible for processing applications and ensuring effective registration of qualifying entities as well as coordinating, monitoring and evaluating registered entities, including conducting annual site visits and interviews to ensure compliance to registration requirements,” she says.  

“Building and managing strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure collaborative support in providing an efficient and effective support network for member entities and continuous review and research on services rendered to members as well as identifying areas of improvements to service offering, forms part of my remit,” she states. Kago goes on to say she is a people’s person and derives immense pleasure and pride in her job which entails providing support to members and facilitating communication between members and internal departments and arranging membership network events working with the Cluster Development and Marketing departments.

Over and above all this, Kago liaises with the broad membership of the International Association of Science Parks and Arears of Innovation (IASP) which Botswana Innovation Hub is a member of, and conducts research in order to continuously improve processes and procedures for registration and member support initiatives. She facilitates administration of labour and tax dispensation applications and maintains accurate and current databases and client files.

Among the achievements Kago prides herself with is her facilitation of the growth of Botswana Innovation Hub membership base from 17 fully registered members to a total 82 incubator, network and fully registered members. She has also developed and implemented a Member Performance Monitoring Tool, developed and implemented a Registration Manual including supporting tools and templates and developed and implemented interim Client Relationship Management database.

Kago completed her Cambridge O’ Levels certification at Maru A Pula School in 1998. She went on to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Personal Computer Applications from NIIT in 1999 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma from United World Collage of the America West in 2001. In 2006 Kago graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from Rhodes University in South Africa and went on to acquire a Post Graduate Certificate in Information Systems Management from University of Liverpool in 2011 before crowning it all with an MSc in Information Systems from Kingston University in the UK the same year.  

With a quiet, unassuming but sure-footed and foresighted demeanor Kago is alive to the omnipresence of the proverbial glass ceiling women face in the corporate world. “While we all get equal opportunity, it is an undeniable fact that women have to put in twice as much effort to make it in the corporate world,” she says. A doting hands on mother of two, she says mothers face enormous challenges juggling parenting with career development. Conversely she brings her motherly instinct to her role of nurturing relationships at the country’s cradle of scientific, technological and indigenous knowledge-based innovation.

 “Women in the workplace face very strong cultural and career stereotypes that stifle their professional and personal growth. It is a hectic balancing game for us but I’m blessed with a strong role model in my mother and the support of my family,” she says. Kago is thankful to her parents for instilling the virtues of hard work ethic and integrity in her and her siblings. “The workplace gives one the sense that you can’t have both family and career and that you have to sacrifice one for the other but with focus, dedication and good support, the delicate work, live balancing act is possible,” she states.

Kago’s support for women empowerment is however qualified, she would rather women earn their place in the sun through merit and not through tokenism. She acknowledges that the empowerment of women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities but cautions against token appointments of women to positions of leadership.

Kago is a consummate result oriented, self-driven, team player who sets high standards and approaches her work with a calm, gracious but palpable gusto, passion and tenacity. She takes pride in her work and goes beyond the call of duty to deliver exceptional client service and offer them value beyond just services, “Because success in this industry is about much more than services — it’s about developing great business relationships. Customer service is the process of ensuring customer satisfaction with a great service that ensures customer retention. Retaining our clients helps expand our formal business networks and gives us a larger and more dynamic pool of members who meet to share information, exchange business leads and make referrals to fellow members,” she declares.

Asked what attributes are required for the pivotal role she plays at Botswana Innovation Hub, she responds, “One has to be accessible, patient, knowledgeable and courteous to do well in this role. Strong peoples skills which help harness interdisciplinary efforts to solve problems is another important attribute of a successful customer service representative.”  And what motivates her to get up every morning and give it her all? “This is certainly one of the best jobs ever. It allows me to be part of a dynamic team of enthusiastic professionals who are building the country’s first science and technology park. However, for me, the technology entrepreneurship development programme is the most important aspect of the Botswana Innovation Hub business model because it develops young people. Working with young innovators and entrepreneurs is divine. Who doesn’t want to work with young, animated, forward thinking, game changers? The energy, creativity and zeal of the next generation of innovators, thinkers and entrepreneurs that surrounds me here thoroughly excites me. Surely some of that gets to rub off onto me…..” she quips.

Kago ends the interview by encouraging the girl child and young women who want to enter the corporate world to work hard and stay focused if they want to break through the corporate glass ceiling. With a finger on the pulse of Botswana Innovation Hub’s clients, Kago has intimate knowledge of its client’s welfare and with her formidable networks, smart and hard work ethic, passion and commitment, attitude and aptitude, the young lady has positioned herself well to ascend to the next generation of Botswana Innovation Hub’s executive leadership (Exco). Who knows, we have the future head honcho in the making here!

“I Really Don’t Want To Say This, But I Have To Say Goodbye, Godspeed…!”

Former Permanent Secretary in the erstwhile Ministry of Infrastructure Science and Technology (MIST)

Dikagiso Mokotedi

Former Permanent Secretary in the erstwhile Ministry of Infrastructure Science and Technology (MIST), Dikagiso Mokotedi first came into contact with the concept note for the establishment of Botswana Innovation Hub while he worked for the state company responsible for advising government on privatization strategies as well as implementation of privatization, the Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency (PEEPA) in 2009. His first thoughts of the proposed establishment of the country’s first Science and Technology Park was delight, admiration and pride at the forward thinking, game changing ideas that were being put forward to propel the country to the next level of economic development.

A registered Architect with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Architecture from Birmingham Polytechnic (UK) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Architecture from the University of Central England, Mokotedi was also awestruck by the designs of the iconic central buildings of the Botswana Innovation Hub Science and Technology Park. Designed by New York based SHoP Architects, the design concept for the central building is framed around two distinct geographic and topographic features that are culturally and environmentally significant to Botswana, the dunes and the delta. 

The embodied form and inherent characteristics of the dune and the delta were significant drivers for the design of the world class, iconic masterpiece of architecture. “The dune inspired the hardscape patterns of the roof, while the oases of the delta inspired moments of relief in the building and the relationship between the dune and the delta inspired the barred form of the building, weaving together the hardscape and moments of relief to create central oases within the Science and Technology Park,” says partner at SHoP Architects, William Sharples.

The state-of-the-art designs won the prestigious 2013 Autodesk Design Awards which are the epitome global design competition for architects, engineers and digital artists.  

As fate would have it, Mokotedi would come into direct contact with Botswana Innovation Hub when he was appointed Director of the Department of Building and Engineering Services in MIST in 2009. He later ascended to Permanent Secretary of MIST in 2012. As director and later head of the ministry responsible for the establishment and oversight of Botswana Innovation Hub, it fell on Mokotedi’s shoulders to deliver the country’s first Science and Technology Park and ensure that it delivered on its crucial mandate - a responsibility he took with passion and determination.

“I have been involved with Botswana Innovation Hub from conception through to construction of the Science and Technology Park and implementation of its projects and programmes and this has been an exciting and fulfilling chapter of my professional life,” says the result oriented and diligent worker who boasts impressive results at the helm of the ministry responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of national infrastructure.

The establishment of Botswana Innovation Hub drives a three ponged national strategic goal of economic diversification, job creation and moving the country towards a knowledge-based economy. The company aims to develop advanced science and technology innovation capital and activities in the country by attracting innovators, channeling the requisite support services and conditioning the investment climate. At the center of this work is the attractive world class Science and Technology Park which offers a unique platform for scientific, technological and indigenous knowledge-based innovation.

Mokotedi views his role as government’s custodian of the Botswana Innovation Hub Science and Technology Park as the architect of the country’s knowledge-based economy. It was therefore with mixed emotions of pride in the achievements made so far and detachment, loneliness and grief of the empty nest syndrome when Mokotedi called on Botswana Innovation Hub management and staff to bid them farewell following the re-organisation and re-designation of government ministries and portfolio responsibilities that has resulted in the dissolution of MIST.

Under the new arrangement, Botswana Innovation Hub has been relocated to a new Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology led by Dr Alfred Madigele and assisted by Fidelis Molao. Mokotedi and the former Minister of MIST, Nonofo Molefhi have been moved to the new Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development.

In his farewell address, Mokotedi could not hide his disappointment and the withdrawal prangs of the empty nest syndrome. He said while it was hard for him to let go, he was grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to the establishment of Botswana Innovation Hub and accepted that it was perhaps time for others to take over and carry on with the work.

“I am not good with goodbyes but now is the time to thank you all for your hard work and dedication in getting Botswana Innovation Hub to where it is today. You built it from zero to the colossal iconic beauty it is becoming with the exciting and empowering programmes you are running here,” he said. Mokotedi said the journey so far has not been easy but with focus and dedication, a lot has been achieved.   

He said that even though he will no longer be directly at the helm of establishment of the Science and Technology Park, it is a project he remains passionate about and pledged that he will always be available to lend a helping hand to Botswana Innovation Hub. For his part, Botswana Innovation Hub CEO Alan Boshwaen thanked Mokotedi for the cordial working relationship the company enjoyed under his stewardship. He said a lot was achieved because of the forward thinking and pragmatic leadership of the Permanent Secretary. He went on to confirm Mokotedi as A Friend of Botswana Innovation Hub for his contribution to the establishment of the Science and Technology Park.

Botswana Innovation Hub Set To Become A Regional Technology Commercialization Centre

In the picture (Left to Right): Former Minister - Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and current Director in the Department of Business and Technology Management KAIST Professor Munkee Choi, Botswana Innovation Hub CEO Alan Boshwaen and Director of Global IT Technology Program (ITTP),KAIST Prof. Jae Jeung Rho.

Botswana Innovation Hub, Chief Executive Officer, Alan Boshwaen signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the company become a regional technology commercialistation center. Boshwaen signed the MoU with the Director of Global Commercialization Centre (GCC), Professor Munkee Choi and Director of Global IT Technology Program (ITTP), Professor JaeJeung Rho both from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The MoU which was signed on Monday outlines the three parties’ technical cooperation through shared mutual assistance and promotion of technical cooperation.

Outlined in the MoU is how Botswana Innovation Hub, KAIST GCC and ITTP (IT Technology Program) will work with the National Technology Transfer Office (TTO) resident at the Botswana Innovation Hub to share mutual assistance and promote technical cooperation. The MoU defines technical cooperation as building a cooperative network between Korea and Botswana through the TTO as a regional hub of GCC with the aim of promoting global technology transfer and commercialization.

The envisioned technology transfer and commercialization will be underpinned by technology demand surveys that have been conducted through the TTO. More technology demand surveys have been planned and these will help identify and promote cooperation in Korean or Botswana research, technology and innovation agencies, industries and firms with promising technologies to promote value creation in economies.

The parties further undertake to work towards the development of technology commercialization business models and support business activities for participating companies and agencies to implement and expand partnership opportunities in both Korea and Botswana. They will also jointly conduct conferences, forums, workshops and several other activities that advance knowledge and strengthen human capital relevant to innovation capacity.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Munkee Choi who is also Korea’s Former Minister in the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said “The parties will develop technology commercialization business models and support business activities for participating companies and agencies to implement and expand partnership opportunities in both Korea and Botswana.” 

He said the GCC technology commercialization method entails a three pronged approach with includes Product Localization (PL) where an ICT product or service requires support for the commercialization process in the domestic or foreign market; Co-Project (CP) which seeks for partners with sufficient technical expertise to collaboration in order to commercialize product or service; and Technology Transfer (TT) which imparts technological and intellectual property to further development of products or services.

Speaking on behalf on Botswana Innovation Hub, Boshwaen said Botswana Innovation Hub is incorporated as a company that is developing and will ultimately operate the country’s first Science and Technology Park, “Networks and collaborations between academia, public and private sectors help build a vibrant national innovation ecosystem and we are happy with this latest endorsement as a regional technology commercialistation center.”

The Legacy of IPA 2016 – Enhancing the National Innovation Ecosystem

There is a school of thought that posits that before an economy can transform from being factor driven to an innovation driven economy, it has to pass through not only an industrialization phase but also the second stage of an efficient economy that endeavors to eliminate waste or perform better with less costs. Khumoetsile Kgosidialwa argues that, “Botswana seems to be way ahead of itself and somehow forgetting that the country is a factor driven economy that needs to encourage efficient use of scarce resources before it becomes an innovative economy.”

He contends that, “Botswana cannot be in a position to become an innovation hub before it eliminates unnecessary bureaucracies that create waste and renders the economy inefficient. Fortunately, Botswana’s challenge is not money but how money is used to transform the economy, create jobs and eradicate poverty.”   

The counter argument to the linear approach to a knowledge-based economy observes that innovation itself entails efficient and effective use of resources. Proponents point to the Tiger Economies as examples of economies that leapfrogged the industrial stage of development in their transition to knowledge-based economies. The trajectory of Ireland’s economic development is used to illustrate how the Celtic Tiger transitioned from an agrarian economy to a modern knowledge-based economy in just over half a century.    

Contemporary thought asserts that the old economy paradigm of efficient resource accumulation only will not suffice and may even fail. Instead, intangible assets like human resources and intellectual capital are outstripping traditional assets such as land and labour as the dominant drivers of   growth.

Back home, Botswana managed to defy convention and beat the odds, going against popular post-independent African trends. The country averted the African resource curse following the discovery of diamonds and transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in Africa to become a development success story. 

However, The World Bank report of 2016 states that, “In contrast to the country’s impressive economic growth, good governance and prudent macroeconomic and fiscal management, the country faces high levels of poverty and inequality as well as low human development indicators.”

The slowdown in overseas economies, particularly Asia, has resulted in low commodity prices and a daunting forecast that mineral revenue will continue to decline substantially over the next two decades. The outlook for commodity prices is arguably the worst it has been since the 2008 global economic meltdown, and China’s slow recovery and soaring input costs for domestic commodity extracts is not helping matters.

In an effort to diversify the economy and create a knowledge-based economy, the Government of Botswana established new institutions such as Botswana Innovation Hub, Botswana Institute of Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BUIST) and the University of Botswana’s new teaching Hospital to promote research, technology transfer and innovation.

Botswana Innovation Hub has been set up as an innovative and networked organisation that promotes technology, entrepreneurship and commercialisation on a purpose built Science and Technology Park which will contribute towards diversifying the economy and transitioning to a knowledge-based economy. In growing the national innovation ecosystem, the company in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology and the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) hosted the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2016 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) in June, 2016.

The IPA is a flagship program of the AIF which recognizes, rewards and mobilizes African innovators through promotion of home-grown, market-driven solutions that address intractable challenges in agriculture, health and well-being, manufacturing and service industry, ICT’s and environment, energy and water.

“Hosting the award ceremony and celebrating African ingenuity in Gaborone afforded Botswana the opportunity to showcase its commitment to putting innovation at the center of its development strategy,” said Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Honorable Nonofo Molefhi.

For his part Botswana Innovation Hub CEO Alan Boshwaen said, “Batswana innovators will benefit from the networks, cooperation, collaborations and business opportunities that have been presented by IPA 2016. The awareness, exposure and confidence to participate in the continental competition will embolden local innovators and foster the national innovation ecosystem for years to come.”

Cluster Development Director at Botswana Innovation Hub, Dr Budzanani Tacheba said, “One of the important pre-conditions for the development of the knowledge-based economy is local, regional and international cooperation, IPA 2016 has brought together the right partners around opportunities for impact.”

He went on to say that worldwide, Research and Development do not receive sufficient funding and hosting the IPA 2016 demonstrated the importance to invest in R&D. “Research burns money to produce knowledge and businesses use the knowledge to make money,” he said.

In his keynote address at the prestigious award ceremony, His Excellency the President Lt. Gen. Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama said, “We should mark the beginning of a new era, in which we embrace knowledge and rewarding of innovation towards national competitiveness.” The President emphasized that the legacy of the IPA 2016 will be the enhancement of the national innovation ecosystem.

Botswana Innovation Hub - The Journey So Far...

Icon Building

History records four prominent transition stages of the developed world. It all began with the hunter-gatherer societies and progressed to the agrarian economy and later the industrial economy leading up to the latest stage of development in global economic restructuring, the emerging knowledge economy. The trajectory of this development spans thousands of years with the move from hunter-gathering to the age of farming and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution 12,000 years later marking the seminal transitions of human history, lifestyle and wellbeing.  

As a distinction from the agrarian, resource-based or traditional industrial economies, a knowledge economy is considered to be an economy that is essentially driven by the creation, distribution and utilization of knowledge and information. In this respect, the knowledge economy or weightless economy reflects the latest stage of development in the evolution of modern economies, often characterized by an increased use of ICT, globalization, active networking and various forms of innovation.

In a fiercely competitive global economic market, many countries have made structural and strategic shifts that will allow them to leapfrog their economic development to the knowledge economy. The knowledge economy is seen as the way forward to achieve sustainable rapid economic growth and to remain globally competitive and Botswana is among the countries that have placed innovation at the centre of their development strategies.

Following the fairytale economic success since the discovery of diamonds in the post-Independence era, uncertainty in global markets and the bleak prospects for commodity producers prompted the country to seek alternative economic drivers. Botswana Innovation Hub was established as part of the economic game changing ensemble that will nurture creativity and innovation, create new scientific, technological and indigenous-knowledge based business opportunities that generate knowledge-based job opportunities and contribute to the country’s economic development and competitiveness. 

Barely five years since its incorporation as a company, Botswana Innovation Hub has made bold and audacious strides that assert it as a major a major destination for innovation on the African continent. The company has positioned itself as an innovative and networked organization that promotes technology, entrepreneurship and commercialisation on a purpose built Science and Technology Park.

Development of the country’s first Science and Technology Park with state-of-the-art facilities and high caliber end-to-end services is ongoing and construction of the central Icon Building is underway including private sector led development lease agreements and local and international partnerships to build other technical facilities that support innovation activities.

Even before the Science and Technology Park is complete, Botswana Innovation Hub has commenced with the development of advanced science and technology innovation capital and activities that attract innovators, channeling the requisite support services and conditioning the investment climate. The company is building opportunities in tenancy, membership, a globally-connected innovation ecosystem and world-class client services.  

One of the important pre-condition of the development of a knowledge-based economy is local, regional and international cooperation. Botswana Innovation Hub is a full member of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) which accords the company the opportunity to network with likeminded organisations across the world. In recognition of the strides the company has made thus far in implementation of the innovation agenda, the company’s CEO Alan Boshwaen was recently unanimously elected President of the Africa Division of the IASP.  

Botswana Innovation Hub has commenced with its core business of providing innovation support programmes essential for nurturing the early stages of start-ups and central for creating a conducive environment that attracts innovative companies and institutions to its Science and Technology Park.

The company established the National Technology Transfer Office (TTO) in partnership with the University of Botswana to address the gap of Intellectual Property (IP) advisory support.  The TTO is responsible for the identification and commercialization of intellectual property arising from research, innovations, indigenous knowledge and technology development. TTO has partnered with National Food Research Technology Centre (NFRTC) on commercialization of indigenous food products.

In creating an environment that allows ideas to take flight, Botswana Innovation Hub established a technology entrepreneurship development programme named, First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC). FSVC has partnered with the private sector to provide start-up companies with business mentorship and market access opportunities. The company has been instrumental in assisting start-ups to commercialize their innovations and this has seen some of them win Africa-wide competitions and also gain global attention. 

FSVC has 18 start-up companies enrolled at its Gaborone campus and the innovation capacity building programme has engaged with over 1000 entrepreneurs and innovators. This year FSVC will see its first cohort of companies graduate from the programme.   

Still on technology entrepreneurship development, Botswana Innovation Hub extended its FSVC programme to Selebi Phikwe and partnered with BCL mine to set up the Mining Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (MTEC) to support local supplier development for innovative solution through demand-driven procurement. Currently 9 start-up companies are enrolled at MTEC and have been supported to secure contracts with BCL.  

In response to a World Bank study that revealed that there was need to develop a conducive environment for ICT developers to work on their ideas to turn them into viable products and services before they can be enrolled into a programme such as FSVC for business development support, Botswana Innovation Hub established an ICT Developer Community Programme called, Cyber City Kgotla.  Cyber City Kgotla offers developers technical and entrepreneurial training opportunities and provides them access to developer toolkits through Botswana Innovation Hub partnerships. The programme has enrolled more than 252 members.  

To support new business development in clean environmentally friendly technologies, Botswana Innovation Hub established The Clean-Tech Centre. The Centre is working with partners on various projects including setting up a Solar Test Bed testing and demonstration facility, and a rapid deployment sustainable housing unit based on alternative housing technologies. The company recently donated one of the sustainable housing units to a beneficiary in Khekhenye village in the Kweneng District as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Other Clean-Tech projects include water purification and harvesting technologies and capacity building initiatives.

Botswana Innovation Hub partnered with Microsoft Corporation to establish The Microsoft Innovation Centre (MIC). MIC supports capacity building and innovation projects in ICT. MIC in partnership with Microsoft Corporation, University of Pennsylvania, BoFiNet, Global Broadband Solutions, Vista Life Sciences, USAID-NetHope and Ministry of Health has implemented the TV White Space (TVWS) pilot project to pilot affordable last mile connectivity and mHealth. The technology helps deliver telemedicine health programmes through low cost and long range broadband over TVWS.

In working with the right partners around opportunities for impact, Botswana Innovation Hub joined The Southern Africa Support (SAIS) programme which supports a regional innovation system in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). SAIS builds capacity and stimulates operational elements of the National Systems of Innovation (NSI) within and across the four pilot countries, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique. The programme aims to positively contribute to the drive for sustainable economic growth, aid in poverty reduction and support the countries in the development of a knowledge society.

As an innovative and networked organization that supports the establishment of a vibrant National System of Innovation, Botswana Innovation Hub collaborated with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology and the Africa Innovation Foundation (AIF) to host the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2016 in Gaborone last month. IPA is a landmark program of the AIF, whose purpose is to increase the prosperity of Africans by catalyzing the innovation spirit in Africa. AIF offers several avenues of opportunity for local, national, regional and international growth and exposure to Africa’s next cadre of innovators.

Still on activities that foster strong linkages between government, industry and academia in the promotion of a national innovation ecosystem that form the building blocks of a knowledge-based economy Botswana Innovation Hub continues to participate in national and global activities such as the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), Girls and Women in ICT and the International Development Design Summit (IDDS).  

The company continues to recruit more members, enter into more strategic partnerships and collaborations, business venture matchmaking and foster commercialisation of innovations and technology transfer as it strives to establish a unique platform for a robust national innovation ecosystem.