In a bold effort to curb Botswana’s persistently high unemployment, the government has launched the Department of Employment Services, aiming to reduce joblessness to single digits within five years.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Major General (Rtd) Pius Mokgware described unemployment not just as an economic challenge but as a national security threat, noting that Botswana ranks among the top ten countries globally with the highest unemployment. He warned that idle skilled workers are vulnerable to exploitation by criminal networks and extremist groups.
Mokgware emphasized that tackling unemployment requires a whole-of-society approach, urging the private sector, trade unions, civil society, and development partners to work alongside the government. He said the state’s role is to create a conducive environment for businesses to grow and employ more people.
The new department will serve as a central hub for labour market data, coordinating job matching, counselling, employer engagement, and skills forecasting. Employers will be required to submit detailed workforce returns, including skills profiles, to help align training initiatives with market demand. Mokgware said this will address the long-standing lack of comprehensive labour market information that has hindered planning.
A core mandate is to ensure employment opportunities are inclusive, covering all demographics, with special emphasis on people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The department will also regulate recruitment agencies, oversee inward and outward labour migration, implement localisation policies, and connect Batswana workers with international job opportunities, while combating exploitative hiring practices.
Acknowledging Botswana’s low ranking of 142 out of 147 in the World Happiness Report, Mokgware urged patience and collaboration, promising the government’s commitment to delivering decent, dignified, and sustainable work for all. “It is the reflection of our determination as a government to confront unemployment with passion,” he said, inaugurating the Department under the theme Positioning Botswana for Inclusive Employment and Economic Transformation.
