Botswana

Botswana Teachers Learn Basic Coding In Preparation For Africa Code Week 2017

By Peter Pedroncelli

In preparation for Africa Code Week 2017, which will take place throughout the continent in October, hundreds of teachers in Botswana have learned basic coding skills. Thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Basic Education in Botswana and software development group SAP, over 400 teachers within the country now have a basic level understanding of how to code, according to ITNewsAfrica. Launched in 2015, the SAP Africa Code Week will take place for a third time in October, with the aim of empowering 500,000 young African boys and girls with coding skills through playful learning methods that inspire enjoyment and creativity.

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Lindiwe Mafavuneh, a Botswana based entrepreneur on a mission to help companies to manage their risk and maximize their investments

Every company and organization needs to manage its risk profile whilst at the same time maximizing its ability to drive business success, but it’s a fine balancing act. For many, specilalist help and advice is needed to get that balance right, and that’s where LCM Capital has found its niche, thanks to founder Lindiwe Mafavuneh.

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Notes from the field: Takeaways from a business trip to Botswana

by Cavan Osborne

Our Africa funds have, for many years, had exposure to Botswana. With very little third-party data and information available, much of our analysis and research is done by visiting the country and speaking to local people. The information that is available is the listed company reports and high-level macroeconomic reports. The gap between these two sets of information is fascinating and highlights why investing based only on the macroeconomic outlook could lead to painful investment results. The author of an economic report was getting excited about the 2016 GDP growth number being revised up to 4.3%, after originally being forecast at 2.7%. However, the management of companies we can invest in, reminded us that they are not experiencing much of this “4.3%” growth, with the operating environment being far softer.

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High School Dropout From Zimbabwe Builds Botswana’s Biggest Ad Agency

By Ann Brown

Knight Ganje was a high school dropout but you’d never know that today, as he now runs a multi-million dollar business which is Botswana’s biggest ad agency. The 29-year-old Zimbabwe-born Ganje founded the Botswana-based ad agency, H&G Advertising Group, which counts among it clients Unilever, Emirates, Coca-Cola, and Samsung. H&G Advertising operates in Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The firm earns $38 million annually.

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