Acting President Slumber Tsogwane has highlighted Botswana’s recent positive developments attributing them to three editions of the Forbes U30 Africa Summit hosted in the country.
Addressing the official opening of this year’s Summit in Tlokweng, Tsogwane noted that Botswana’s stature has been elevated through its consistent hosting of Forbes Under 30. “This can be gauged by the well-received Special Issue of Forbes Africa Magazine, dedicated to Botswana’s development trajectory titled ‘Botswana—the Jewel of Africa’. Then there was a film by Penresa TV in partnership with CNBC Africa, titled: Botswana -The Diamond of Africa.”
Tsogwana perceives that the Forbes Under 30 Africa Summit has empowered the youth to dare to dream, to pursue their business ideas instead of being immobilised by the fear of failure, and to actively seek out opportunities within business networks to connect with potential investors.
“What they need the most is funding and mentorship to strengthen their resolve and foster their resilience,” he said commending Forbes for investing in youth-preneurs through the celebration, coaching and promotion of their business ventures.
This year’s summit coincides with the country’s Reset and Reclaim Agenda priority of Digitisation, in respect of economic diversification, improvement of productivity and the efficiencies of the delivery of public services, is also a means of opening possibilities for Value Chain Development, by accessing several youth-oriented economic empowerment programmes, leveraging on their Forbes’ earnings and experience.
Participating countries across the region also improve their global profiles through the participation of their young people.
The Summit hosted over 1000 delegates this year, and an audience of over 100 million followers across all its platforms such as magazines, and social media, which has left an indelible mark on the African businesses and young people eager to grow their business start-ups.
This year’s theme is, “The Engine of Africa’s Growth: Investment and Entrepreneurship”. The mandate of the week-long conference is to gather young entrepreneurs in order to foster collaboration and exchange of ideas with like-minded individuals who are passionate about innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurial capitalism.
Tsogwane expressed confidence in the event, enhancing Botswana’s status as a regional hub for a knowledge-based economy and providing platforms for young people to excel and realise their potential across different sectors.
“From a continental perspective, the event will create stronger professional ties, and access to job and business opportunities, and assist with polished communication and social skills, and other much-needed soft skills for the realisation of the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.”
