"Sir, we are not done yet!" Tsheko Tells Youth, Sports and Culture Minister.

Emboldened by the resounding success of the launch of Di-Apps Mobile Application Store earlier this week, First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC) programme manager, Tshepo Tsheko made a bold pronouncement to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Thapelo Olopeng, “Sir, we are not done yet! We have several other companies lined up and ready to fulfil your quest to produce young Batswana entrepreneur millionaires during your term of office.”

Tsheko was speaking on the fringes of the launch of the country’s first and only online application store, aptly named, Di-Apps Mobile Application Store. The digital distribution platform is a product of one of FSVC’s clients, Ditec Mobile.

The 100% citizen owned company designs, customizes and ultimately manufacturers mobile phones. Ditec Mobile offers a full range of hi-tech and durable mobiles with a wide appeal to people who appreciate the beauty and broad functionality of mobile phones,” states the company’s founder, Thatayaone Dichaba.

Ditec Mobile enrolled into the Botswana Innovation Hub’s technology entrepreneurship development programme, FSVC in January, 2014. The company was presented as candidate for the Ministers Young Entrepreneur Millionaire project at the launch of its Di-Apps Mobile Application Store at the Capitol Cinema at Game City mall in Gaborone.

The Youth, Sports and Culture Minister has vowed to produce at least five young entrepreneur millionaires during his term of office. Speaking at the launch, the Minister said, “It is high time Batswana showed confidence in young people and know that the big international brands we celebrate are given a push in their countries of origin.”

“Charity begins at home, these big brands are recognized by their economies, so why can’t we do the same for our brands? From today, I am becoming the brand ambassador for Ditec Mobile phones,” declared the Minister.  

Expounding on his pledge to the Minister, Thseko said, “Let’s face it, the odds are heavily stacked against early stage enterprise development. A significant percentage of new businesses fail and according to Bloomberg, nine out of ten startups will fail. This is a hard and bleak truth, but these cold statistics are not intended to discourage entrepreneurs, instead, they should encourage them to work harder and smarter.”

Tsheko explained that FSVC is the Botswana Innovation Hub’s hybrid incubator/accelerator that provides business and technology support services, strategic partnerships, tenancy and market access support to startup ventures.

He said with the caliber of clients they currently have in the programme, they can confidently meet and surpass the target for young entrepreneur millionaires that the Minister has set. He went on to say that it takes an inordinate amount of time, effort and other resources to graduate technology startups, but with the talent, passion and hunger for success that the FSVC clients demonstrate, he was certain they are the premier technology incubator and business accelerator in the region. “Our clients are very enterprising and are looking beyond our borders for markets. In fact most have already secured contracts abroad, and all we are asking for is recognition and support on the home front,” he said.

Tsheko said preparations are at an advanced stage for the launch of another locally based and globally focused startup. “World Queues is a 100% citizen owned company offering an innovative, time saving queue management service. The service allows customers to queue on line, by kiosk at entrances and by sms from their mobile phones,” he said.

The queue management service is already live in Kenya’s Coop Bank and Kenya Revenue Authority as well as the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) and First National Bank (FNB) in Botswana. “World Queues is another demonstration of the stellar work coming out of globally connected innovation ecosystem created by FSVC. We will be announcing the launch of this company in the next few weeks,” Tsheko said.

World Queues Managing Director, Justice Williams said they have been motivated by the Youth Ministers support and are looking forward to expanding their services to hospitals and clinics, and social services and amenities providers. “Our kiosks are being produced locally with a huge job creation spinoff and the revenue potential to the company and the country is enormous,” he said.

Williams said they are positioning World Queues as a Pan African brand and welcomed the support of the Youth Minister.   

   

Botswana Innovation Hub Presents Youth Minister, Hon. Thapelo Olopeng with a Candidate for His Young Millionare's Plan.

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Thapelo Olopeng recently made a bold and ambitious undertaking to ensure that young people do not only succeed in business but also vowed, “to produce at least five young entrepreneur millionaires during my tenure at the ministry.”  

Botswana Innovation Hub has been quick to pick up the gauntlet and present, one of its flagship technology entrepreneurship development programme, First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC) client, Ditec Mobile  as a candidate for the Minister’s youth empowerment plan.

FSVC currently houses 15 carefully selected technology ventures and provides business and a range of technology advisory services to a wider network of walk-in and remote clients. Ditec Mobile is a 100% citizen owned company that designs, customizes and ultimately manufacturer mobile phones. The company enrolled into FSVC in January, 2014 and will be launching their Di-Apps Mobile Application Store and products and services on Tuesday 6^th October, 2015 at the Capitol Cinema at Game City mall in Gaborone.

“Ditec Mobile offers a full range of exceptional mobiles with a wide appeal to people who appreciate the beauty and broad functionality of mobile phones,” declares the company’s founder, Thatayaone Dichaba.

He said their devices, including their foremost handset, Pioneer, is being promoted in over 10 African countries and that with the realization of the huge potential presented by the use of local content in mobile devices, they established Di-Apps Mobile Application Store. “The store will sell applications with local content and the application comes pre-installed in all our smartphones,” he says.

Dichaba says an increase usage of smartphones has brought with it endless possibilities and services that can be provided through smartphone technology. “Di-Apps, is a digital distribution platform and Botswana's first and only online application store. The platform will serve as the official app store for the Android operating system, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit (SDK),” he says.

It is against this background that Ditec Mobile is introducing Di-Apps, to stimulate application development and usage of local content, to make it possible for Botswana’s creativity and technology to be availed to the world within this platform.

“This initiative carries a huge export and employment potential as our platform is currently being tested by 7 mobile operators in 5 countries. We are currently hosting over 10 local applications developed by Botswana companies such as Learn Setswana, Thanodi Translator, Learn Sekgalagadi, etc.”

Ditec Mobile is in dialogue with local mobile network operators being Be Mobile, Mascom, and Orange, to integrate their existing mobile money platforms into the applications, a move that once approved will enable users to buy applications using Mobile Money provided by their Operators or using Airtime. Dichabe is fully convinced that this will open more opportunities for both users and developers.

For his part, FSVC Manager, Tshepo Tsheko said Botswana Innovation Hub welcomes the minister’s pledge as it is in line with the company’s aim of contributing to the country’s economic development and competitiveness through the creation of new scientific, technological and indigenous knowledge-based business opportunities.  

“We are thrilled by the minister’s commitment to loosen up the tight breakthrough pathways into business by making it easier for young people to venture into business and allowing them to play an active role in the country’s economy,” he said.

Tsheko says it will be easy for Ditec Mobile to fulfill the minister’s goal. “Ditec Mobile phones are hi-tech and durable. A directive to all government departments, ministries and parastal’s to have the devices as standard issue for officers entitled to cellphones will guarantee a market and bolster the company’s profitability,” said a buoyant Tsheko.  

“As Botswana Innovation Hub, we are already supporting Ditec Mobile with a wide range of technology advisory services, business and technology support services, strategic partnership and tenancy and market access support,” he said.

With a guaranteed market, Ditec Mobile will be able to set up production plants in the country, create jobs and export a truly Botswana made high-tech mobile handset. Thsheko believes Ditec Mobile are the perfect candidate for Hon. Thapelo Olopeng’s young entrepreneur millionaires’ project.