"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.