Fourteen students from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) have graduated from the inaugural BIUST Student Entrepreneurship Fellowship Programme (BSEFP), marking a significant milestone in Botswana’s drive to develop a knowledge-based, diversified economy.
The year-long programme, launched in October 2025 through a partnership between the Government of Botswana and the MIT Kuo Sharper Centre for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, was delivered through the BIUST School of Business and Professional Development. It equipped students with entrepreneurial, leadership, innovation and problem-solving capabilities, helping them transform research, technical knowledge and innovative ideas into ventures with potential economic and social impact.
The journey culminated in the BSEFP Cohort 1 Final Pitch Night and Graduation on 3 September 2026 at the Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub (BDIH) in Gaborone, where the graduates presented their ventures and received certificates of completion.
The programme reflects a broader national priority. Speaking at the graduation, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Joel Duke Ramaphoi, linked BSEFP to the country’s economic transformation agenda, noting that Botswana’s future prosperity must be built not only on its natural resources but also on the capabilities and creativity of its people. He described the Ministry’s mandate as building an economy that “trades in ideas as readily as it trades in commodities” and develops entrepreneurs who can turn innovation into enterprise and enterprise into jobs.
Mr Joel Duke Ramaphoi further noted that the graduation comes at an important time as Government implements the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), a national response to the need for Botswana’s diamond-dependent economy to diversify and become more resilient. BSEFP ventures already span areas aligned with this transformation agenda, including agriculture, energy, health, manufacturing, digital technologies, water and environmental solutions, circular economy and mining.
The 14 graduates are Mmoloki Garegae, Theo Moatshe, Bertha Nametso Tema, Tsaone Swaabow Thapelo , Kesaobaka Mosetlhane, Roy Ramanno, Tumelo Kabo Oketsang, Mpho Edwin Tsie, Thata Pule Dioka, Tiisetso Venesa Thekoeng, Precious Mpofu, Tshenolo Larona Chaba, Lefika Mosutlheelo and Antonio Kgosikoma.
The programme’s significance extends beyond the individual graduates. BIUST Vice Chancellor Prof Elisha Shemang described the initiative as part of a new chapter in Botswana’s economic transformation, where “knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship become the primary drivers of national prosperity.” He emphasised BIUST’s role in producing not only graduates, but also problem-solvers, innovators, job creators and nation builders.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, Prof Richard Tabulawa, similarly described the graduates as technically skilled young people equipped to contribute to Botswana’s economic transformation.
He noted that their ventures have the potential to contribute to innovation, enterprise development and job creation while addressing real societal and economic challenges.The achievement also reflects the commitment of the Government of Botswana, through the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, the MIT Kuo Sharper Centre, BIUST leadership, the School of Business and Professional Development, mentors, facilitators, advisers, partners and the BSEFP team. Their collective effort created the environment in which the fellows could move their ideas from concept towards enterprise. Professor Patricia Makepe, Dean of the School of Business and Professional Development, expressed appreciation to these stakeholders, while highlighting that BSEFP is a continuing commitment rather than a once-off initiative. The School aims to produce a steady pipeline of innovation-driven entrepreneurs through the BSEFP.
That continuity is already evident. BSEFP Cohort 2, comprising 16 Fellows from BIUST, began its fellowship journey in August 2026, extending the programme’s mission to nurture the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs in Botswana.
As Cohort 1 graduates move beyond the fellowship, their challenge is now to take their ventures further through continued validation, partnerships, market access, investment and growth. As Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Joel Duke Ramaphoi reminded the graduates that their future impact will depend on “continued commitment, hard work, and willingness to act.”
The graduation therefore represents more than the completion of a programme. It demonstrates what can happen when government, academia and international partners invest in people, ideas and enterprise; and provides another step towards a more diversified, innovative and prosperous Botswana.
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