Connecting Botswana for 28 Years: Mascom’s Journey to Digital Excellence

Through interviews with employees, customers and industry observers, Mascom’s story emerges as one of transformation — reshaping the country’s communication landscape, empowering businesses and improving lives. From its early days operating out of a small office in Broadhurst to becoming a household name, Mascom’s rise reflects innovation, perseverance and a sustained commitment to connecting Botswana. Over the past 28 years, Lindiwe Ramorwa has witnessed that evolution firsthand. She says she saw Mascom being built from the ground up. Her journey with the company began in 1998, when she was working as a data capturer at Botswana Eagle Insurance Company. At the time, Mascom was being established and recruiting for its start-up operations. In June 1998, Ramorwa became one of its first recruits. “Everyone wanted to work at Mascom at the time,” she says, describing her employment as a blessing. “I became one of the first Batswana to use a mobile phone as a result of being privileged enough to be a Mascom employee,” she notes. Licensed in February 1998, Mascom would go on to become Botswana’s leading telecommunications provider, with infrastructure enabling seamless communication across more than 95 percent of the population. Ramorwa recalls a time when communication relied on letters or physical travel, with messages taking days, weeks or even months to reach their destination. The delays, she says, often meant missed business opportunities. Today, she has seen Mascom deliver real-time solutions that have transformed the economy. “We needed to connect with other countries to sell our cattle. Mascom enabled us to do that instantly. People used to drive hundreds of kilometers just to either negotiate a business deal or to send a message, which was time-consuming and costly. Mascom ensured that with just a phone call, money and time were saved,” she explains. She describes it as remarkable to witness the shift to instant communication, followed by continuous technological advancements — including the launch of EDGE technology in 2004 and 4G in 2012, which broadened rural connectivity. Over the years, Mascom has deployed extensive 2G, 3G and 4G sites nationwide, along with fiber infrastructure, connecting both rural villages and urban centers. Ramorwa says she has seen the company grow from a handful of employees to more than 500, making it one of the largest private-sector employers in Botswana. She describes her 28 years at Mascom as the best years of her life. “I saw services growing, and Mascom reaching out to the entire country. You could easily communicate with someone at the other end of the country. It was my first experience at Mascom to speak to friends and relatives outside Botswana,” she says. From high school graduate to master’s degree holder Ramorwa started as a Help Desk Assistant, capturing customer data under the Information Technology Department. Inspired by the environment, she enrolled for a Diploma in Information Technology. Upon graduation, she was appointed Help Desk Officer under the Business Systems Department. She later pursued a Degree in Business Administration to position herself for further opportunities. In recognition of her academic and professional growth, Mascom appointed her to head the Customer Data Registration team, at a time when the regulator required telecommunications companies to maintain updated customer records. In 2010, she was involved in a special government initiative known as Nteletsa 2, referred to internally at Mascom as the Dikitsong Centre project. Under the initiative, Mascom was tasked with ensuring network connectivity in 41 villages. “I did it so well that even at the end of the project, Mascom, as a private company, wanted the project of rural area connectivity to proceed because they valued the rural connectivity initiative. At the end of it, Mascom ended up connecting up to 114 Dikitsong Centres,” she says. She now heads the Special Projects Department under the Consumer Business Unit and credits Mascom for enabling her to obtain a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. “I have grown personally, intellectually, and financially as a result of Mascom,” she says, adding that the company has a culture of employing young people and nurturing their professional growth. Pioneering financial literacy On Jan. 13, 2026, Sedilame Adamson celebrated her 28th birthday — just weeks before Mascom marked its own 28th anniversary in February. She describes the shared milestone as symbolic. In 2014, while still in senior secondary school, Adamson received her first cellphone with a Mascom number. She immediately registered for MyZaka with one goal: to save money. As a minor, she could not open a traditional bank account, but MyZaka allowed her to save like any adult account holder. “I opened the account and saved part, if not most, of my pocket money. The savings enabled me to have an understanding of money management. I also developed some kind of financial independence because when I ran out of toiletries, I would easily buy them for myself. I never ran out of transportation money or money to buy airtime and subscribe for internet,” she says. Today, Adamson works as a florist at Agape Florist at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. She still uses the same Mascom number and continues to rely on its value-added services. When applying for her job, she had no transport fare but managed to subscribe to a P10 mobile data package and submit her application online. “So, to me, Mascom offers affordable convenience, especially to us young people who are not necessarily financially stable,” she says. Launched in April 2011, MyZaka enables customers to send, receive, buy and pay using their mobile phones by dialing *167#. Adamson says the platform allows her to purchase electricity, airtime and other services without queuing or traveling. She also benefits from products such as MyZaka Instant Loans and the VISA card for local and offshore payments. “For communication, the subscription for Masika le Ditsala, if you don’t have much money for airtime, allows you to speak to people for longer with less airtime. Even for communication related to my business, say I’m looking for more staff or to advertise on social media, it is easier now,” she says. Staying connected for 28 years Dr. Christopher Nyanga has used the same Mascom number since the company’s inception 28 years ago. At the time, he was a first-year University of Botswana student who had moved from Tutume to Gaborone. “My parents were many, many kilometers away, in Tutume. At the time, Mascom was the only mobile network operator, and the only way to communicate then was through Mascom. It made things easy for me and for them to communicate,” he says. He says the ability to connect easily with family, friends and fellow students eased the transition to university life. Over the years, retaining the same number has ensured continuity. “So, there has been consistency in the way I get contacted, in the way people communicate with me. So, even somebody who may have known my number 10 or 20 years ago, may not have met me, could easily reach me,” he says. Dr. Nyanga notes that Mascom has grown significantly, adopting new technologies and expanding its product offerings. Today, he says, it is more than a communication platform — it supports banking, knowledge sharing and business transactions. Still, he believes there is room for improvement. “Year in, year out, they bring in new products, like options to call for free, or options to call at less rates. Those kinds of innovations improve the quality of life of many users,” he says, adding that nationwide accessibility remains critical. “There are some areas where connectivity is a challenge. I would advise that they continue to innovate and come up with new innovations that would make lives of users easier each year,” he says. For Dr. Nyanga, Mascom is an economic enabler — a company that has played a critical role in connecting Botswana over nearly three decades.

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Connecting Botswana for 28 Years: Mascom’s Journey to Digital Excellence

As Mascom Wireless celebrates its 28th anniversary, The Business Weekly & Review looks back at the company’s journey from a modest analogue start-up to one of Botswana’s leading telecommunications giants.

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Connecting Botswana for 28 Years: Mascom’s Journey to Digital Excellence

As Mascom Wireless celebrates its 28th anniversary, The Business Weekly & Review looks back at the company’s journey from a modest analogue start-up to one of Botswana’s leading telecommunications giants.

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