INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

Innovations of the World

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

This authoritative collection of the thought leaders, innovators, and innovation enablers that are changing Botswana and the world is a must read! Together with an e-book, online features, and the innovative AR-enabled book itself, INNOVATE™ Botswana showcases the amazing people and organizations who all have something in common: the passion and courage to innovate.

Innovation knows no boundaries, transcending geographical limitations to spark transformative change across the globe. Nestled in the heart of southern Africa, the vibrant nation of Botswana has emerged as a shining example of innovation, harnessing its unique resources and resilient spirit to drive progress and shape a prosperous future. Through visionary leadership, strategic planning, and a deep commitment to sustainable development, Botswana has crafted an inspiring narrative of innovation that captivates the world’s attention.

Botswana’s innovative journey has been intricately linked to its rich natural resources, most notably diamonds. Recognizing the need to leverage this precious asset responsibly and ethically, the country established the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) in 1982. By implementing rigorous standards and cutting-edge technology, Botswana revolutionized the diamond industry, ensuring transparency, fair trade, and maximum benefit for its citizens. This foresight not only boosted the nation’s economy but also inspired confidence and trust among global investors.

Botswana has embraced the transformative power of technology to foster innovation across various sectors. The country’s commitment to digital advancement is evident in initiatives such as the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH). Founded in 2008, the BIH serves as a catalyst for research, development, and innovation, bringing together entrepreneurs, scientists, and industry leaders to collaborate and create groundbreaking solutions. This hub has nurtured a vibrant startup ecosystem and encouraged the growth of tech-driven enterprises, positioning Botswana as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Botswana’s innovative mindset extends beyond economic prosperity to encompass sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The country recognizes the urgency of addressing climate change and has implemented ambitious initiatives to combat its effects. From investing in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to promoting sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation, Botswana is taking proactive steps to create a greener, more resilient future. These sustainability efforts not only protect the nation’s natural heritage but also foster a harmonious balance between economic growth and environmental preservation.

Botswana’s remarkable journey of innovation showcases the power of visionary leadership, resourceful thinking, and a commitment to sustainable development. Through harnessing its natural resources responsibly, embracing technology and digital advancements, and prioritizing sustainability, Botswana has emerged as a beacon of progress on the African continent. As the nation continues to pioneer innovative solutions and foster a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship, it stands poised to shape a brighter and more prosperous future for its people and inspire others around the world to embark on their own transformative journeys of innovation.

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Innovators

Featured Innovators

THE GIFT PLACE

THE TRUE VALUE OF A GIFT IS THE SENTIMENT BEHIND THE GIFTING

NOTE FROM FOUNDER A few years ago, I realized how strenuous it is for some to come up with or present a thoughtful gift for any occasion. The idea of The Gift Place grew from my passion to create a gift by simply sourcing various items from different outlets to...

LITTER KINGS

LITTER KINGS- AND A GREEN ECONOMY

AND A GREEN ECONOMY

With a staff complement of close to 10 employees on a full-time basis, Litter Kings is a pronounced example of a local business that started from the bottom and relentlessly worked hard to ensure growth and sustainability of the company over the years. The company started running in 2013 when...

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES

WHITE LABEL FRAGRANCES-DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

DISCOVER & OWN YOUR TRUE SCENT

White Label Fragrances is a 100% Botswana citizen-owned company. We are an African luxury Niche-Fragrance brand that curates and blends bespoke fragrances, with specially selected raw materials to suit various tastes. We strive to consistently create fragrances and fragranced products that are elegant, luxurious and timeless. All White Label fragrances...

I HEART GABS CITY

I HEART GABS CITY-IN 2016 IHEARTGABSCITY GATHERED A TRIBE OF YOUTH AND EMBARKED ON A CREATIVE DISRUPTIVE JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMING SPACES TO PLACES

IN 2016 IHEARTGABSCITY GATHERED A TRIBE OF YOUTH AND EMBARKED ON A CREATIVE DISRUPTIVE JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMING SPACES TO PLACES

Using waste materials to create furniture for the spaces, a fusion of art and creative business to bring life to open spaces, and all this was sparked by the fact that in my city, Gaborone, open spaces are mostly used for a carwash, driving schools, second-hand clothing sales, or food...

NAKO TIMEPIECES

NAKO TIMEPIECES- A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A LUXURY WATCH DESIGNER BRAND WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Born and designed in Gaborone, Botswana Nako Timepieces are merging innovation and luxury watchmaking that is proudly rooted in Botswana. BRAND PERSONALITYAn embodiment of Afrocentrism, Tswana origins, selfdiscovery, character and endurance. Having stepped over the line of classic iconic style and into the realm of simplicity — Nako Timepieces identifies...

V.I FITNESS

V.I FITNESS: YOUR HEALTH PARTNER

YOUR HEALTH PARTNER

V.I FITNESS IS A HOLISTIC FITNESS COMPANY FOUNDED BY COUSINS COLO TLHONG & LEBOGANG MOIPOAI, AS TEENS THEY BOTH HAD A STRONG DRIVE TO STAY ACTIVE  CHALLENGE THEIR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS ALBEIT IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. Lebogang was a multi-sport athlete who would try any and every sport; basketball, football, rugby...

SHAREARIDE

SHAREARIDE -TRANSFORMING BOTSWANA’S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

TRANSFORMING BOTSWANA’S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Sharearide is a service driven by Corrugated Minds, a company built by a young team who are passionate about transforming citizens’ day-to-day lives through the provision of solutions powered by technology. The Corrugated Minds journey began in 2014, with an idea to provide digital solutions to Botswana’s everyday activities, including...

WARONA LAW OFFICE

WARONA LAW OFFICE - MOLAO WARONA ROTLHE

MOLAO WARONA ROTLHE

What’s in a name?In this case – everything! Warona is a Setswana pronoun, which translates to “ours” in English. The fact of the matter is the law is “ours” – all of us, made by us to govern and protect us. It also happens to be the middle name of...

LION TUTORING

WHAT REALLY SETS US APART FROM OUR COMPETITION IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE MERGED TECHNOLOGY WITH OUR ALREADY EXISTING SERVICES

Starting off as just a tutoring company, as time went on we merged our tutorials together with technology. Together with the 4th industrial revolution, we are the first company in Botswana to work as an “Uber for tutors.” We are basically matching tutors and students across Botswana, South Africa, and...

ECOHUB (PTY) LTD

ECOHUB (PTY) LTD- “ONE MAN’S WASTE

“ONE MAN’S WASTE, ANOTHER MAN’S SUSTAINABLE ECO BUILDING”

July 2017 I left my 9-5 job of being a full time Lecturer, and founded Ecohub (Pty) Ltd, a startup that innovatively uses plastic waste combined with other additives to produce affordable, architect designed flat pack ecobricks to build ecohouses. As the only Founder, I took a risk and sold...

SENTIMENTAL VALUE ARTS AND CRAFTS

SENTIMENTAL VALUE ARTS AND CRAFTS- “IF IT’S DEAR TO YOU ITS DEAR TO US TOO.”

“IF IT’S DEAR TO YOU ITS DEAR TO US TOO.”

All of us have that something that we hold on dearly to. For some people it’s a family heirloom, handwritten post letters and to others a broken kettle they keep saying they will fix and never get around to doing it. I get it all. At Sentimental Value we allow...

NINETEEN 21

NINETEEN 21-UNORTHODOX THINKING

UNORTHODOX THINKING

Established in 2019, Nineteen21 is an innovative subscription business that presents savings and rewards solutions across a number of tiers. The company initially sought out to find a solution for college and varsity students to save money and maximise on the value of their limited monthly allowances. The company built...

HOTEL & CONGRES TER ELST

HOTEL & CONGRES TER ELST-A PLACE TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET YOU NEED IN GREEN SURROUNDINGS

A PLACE TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET YOU NEED IN GREEN SURROUNDINGS, AND ONLY A STONE’S THROW AWAY FROM THE HEART OF ANTWERP

After Hotel & Congress Ter Elst was taken over in 2011 and thanks to a full transformation of the company, it became one of the major key players in the Meetings & Events industry in the Antwerp region. “We don’t do anything else, we just do it a different way”...

NUBIAN SEED (PTY) LTD

NUBIAN SEED (PTY) LTD BEAUTY ROOTED IN NATURE AND INDIGENOUSLY INSPIRED BY AFRICA

BEAUTY ROOTED IN NATURE AND INDIGENOUSLY INSPIRED BY AFRICA

Established in 2016, Nubian Seed (PTY) Ltd is a green beauty manufacturer of natural and organic personal care products, made using raw plant based ingredients which are indigenous to the African continent. The Nubian Seed product range is a reflection of Africa’s bio diversity, as well as global growing interest...

XANDYE

XANDYE-THE QUINTESSENTIAL

THE QUINTESSENTIAL, MODERN COVER TABLE, CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS AND LIFESTYLE BRAND THAT PRIDES ITSELF IN EXCELLENT QUALITY THAT IS ON PAR WITH ENTRY-LEVEL LUXURY PIECES

According to its founder and current Creative Director, Sandra Tebogo Kenanao, “Xandye is another name for ‘luxury’. We don’t compromise when it comes to quality. We design our products from scratch, taking time on detail and simple – yet elegant – aesthetics. We select the material and hardware to be...

MOBI LOO

MOBI LOO - “YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS”

“YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS”

Mobi Loo is a company that provides professional and reliable services in mobile toilet hire. Its mission is to restore dignity back to the people by setting a foundation of quality and excellence which is the heart of the company. Since inception, its expectation has been to WOW! Its clients...

SPECTRUM ANALYTICS

SPECTRUM ANALYTICS-DATA / INNOVATION / VALUE

DATA / INNOVATION / VALUE

Our InspirationDigital disruption is creating risks, opportunities and challenges for everyone – “What got you here, won’t get you there!   Our Value PropositionLeverage data for digital business transformation.   Our Services• We give you the confidence to be bold and confident in the digital economy.• We provide solutions to...

PROJECT 124

PROJECT 124-BUILDING THE ECONOMY

BUILDING THE ECONOMY, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME

Project124 is an innovation enabler designed to revolutionize youth entrepreneurship and facilitate effective creation of sustainable jobs for young people around the country, brought to you by Launchit International in partnership with Hollard Life Botswana.   Established in 2016, Project124 stands to be the leading private and citizen owned youth...

PAULMAN HOLDINGS

PAULMAN HOLDINGS-BUILDING INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS FOR AFRICA...

BUILDING INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS FOR AFRICA...

Paulman Holdings is a wholly citizen-owned company founded in 2010 with the sole vision of becoming the most trusted and respected company, recognized by their clients for delivering excellence whilst simultaneously creating new opportunities for growth in their respective fields. Their main venture is the transportation of goods and services...

DIGITAL NATIVES

DIGITAL NATIVES LEADING THE CHANGE

LEADING THE CHANGE

Digital Natives is a 100% youth and citizen-owned, multi-award-winning software and disruptive agency with the founder, Mthabisi Bokete, being Standard Bank Africa Group’s youngest Board Member in the history of Stanbic Bank, both locally & globally. Digital Natives won the regional 2020 SADC Innovation and Investment Competition with their remarkable...

QFLO CREATIVE INSIGHTS

QFLO CREATIVE INSIGHTS -ENABLING BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN BOTSWANA BY BATSWANA

ENABLING BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN BOTSWANA BY BATSWANA

Creative Insights is a citizen-owned technology and software development company that was created to address poor customer experiences in Botswana. Backed by a board of local and established business leaders, the team of young digital innovators was able to create an upgraded version of the queue management service, WorldQueues, which...

MAUNGO CRAFT

MAUNGO CRAFT - RE-INTEGRATING ORPHAN CROPS BACK INTO THE FOOD SYSTEM

RE-INTEGRATING ORPHAN CROPS BACK INTO THE FOOD SYSTEM, ONE FLAVOR AT A TIME

Morula also known as Marula is one such Orphan Crop. We are a food manufacturer that has formed symbiotic relationships with Morula oil companies and local farmers. We upcycle the fruit pulp that is typically underutilized, the processors press the seed to get seed oil and then they sell the...

ACCLAIM EXPRESS

ACCLAIM EXPRESS- IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

Acclaim will serve as a Virtual Business Environment (VBE) for all small businesses globally. The idea is to take small businesses to the internet and be able to create virtual offices, stalls, and markets which are manageable. This innovation was inspired by the digital transformation of the economy and the...

FIRST-AID COUNSELLING

FIRST-AID COUNSELLING-A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY

A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTANTLY AND ANONYMOUSLY

I always say to my team, “Digitisation has become a necessity in a world consumed by mobile devices”. Our digital mental health platforms aim to promote mental wellness by being up close and personal in your mobile device. – Kesego Mosime, CEO and Co-Founder, First-Aid Counselling. In a country with...

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The Publisher

Thapelo Letsholo

Thapelo Letsholo is a Botswana politician and entrepreneur. He is the current elected Member of Parliament for Kanye North constituency as of 2019. He is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party. Early Life Thapelo Letsholo was born in Kanye, Botswana. He then attended his early education in Jwaneng, Botswana and his senior secondary education... click to read more

Other Ecosystems