UNDP Botswana

20/10/2026

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐: 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭

Today’s conversations moved deeper into one of the most practical questions facing Botswana’s entrepreneurs: 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭?

On Day 2 of the 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 (𝐀𝐟𝐂𝐅𝐓𝐀), participants explored how businesses can strengthen their digital presence, develop clearer product catalogues, use digital payment systems and better understand the logistics required to serve customers across borders. These areas form part of the training’s wider focus on preparing enterprises for the continental market.
But being online is not simply about creating a page and posting products.

Participants unpacked some of the details that can shape how an international customer experiences a business online, from avoiding overcrowded advertising and presenting information clearly, to understanding how products can be positioned for different audiences and markets. The discussions also touched on digital payment options, insurance and other practical considerations that become increasingly important as businesses expand.

The day also created space for entrepreneurs to engage directly with a representative from the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, raising some of the challenges they face and discussing where systems, support and the business environment could be strengthened.

That exchange matters.

Preparing businesses for continental trade requires more than training entrepreneurs. It also requires listening to the realities they encounter and creating stronger links between the businesses pursuing opportunities and the institutions that can help make those opportunities easier to access.

The takeaway from Day 2 is clear: digital trade is not simply about being online. It is about building a business that customers can find, understand, trust, pay and buy from, wherever they are.

As the training continues, the focus remains on turning continental opportunity into something Botswana’s entrepreneurs can practically use to grow.

20/10/2026

🇧🇼 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 | Strengthening Botswana’s National Ecosystem Assessment

UNDP Botswana invites qualified firms to submit proposals for the development and delivery of a training module for the Botswana National Ecosystem Assessment (BW-NEA) and the integration of Traditional Knowledge into sectoral planning.

Reference Number: UNDP-BWA-00303
Deadline: 2 November 2026 at 17:00 Botswana time
Contact: [email protected]

Scan the QR code on the flyer to access the full procurement notice and submission details or use the link below:

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_negotiation.cfm?nego_id=50864

20/10/2026

Hear directly from youth: Osaki Modiri from Maun.

A bootcamp should not end with a certificate. It should create a next step.

At the Bokamoso Skills Bootcamp in Maun, young people turned ideas into practical business propositions through an Innovation Sprint and Pitch Arena, exploring how to validate ideas, understand markets and develop solutions with real potential.

Through Bokamoso Skills, promising participant-led ideas can connect with innovation-support pathways, including UniPod, creating opportunities to move from skills development to experimentation and potential incubation.

The goal is clear: empowering young people to use technology to solve problems, innovate and create economic opportunities.

19/10/2026

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.

By the end of the first day of the Digital Trade Training under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the conversation had moved beyond simply asking “What opportunities are out there?”

The bigger question became: 𝘐𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?

Across the day, 60 entrepreneurs unpacked how to evaluate potential markets, understand trade requirements, use tools such as the E-Tariff Book and Rules of Origin Manual, and think more strategically about where their products could compete. As discussions continued into the afternoon, one of the strongest takeaways was that expanding into a new market requires more than ambition. Entrepreneurs need to understand their product, their customer, the requirements of the market and whether their business can consistently deliver at the standard expected.

That shift in thinking matters.

For a small business, entering a new African market could mean increased orders, greater production and new jobs. But sustainable growth starts with making informed business decisions before the first product ever crosses a border.

Day 1 was therefore not only about learning the mechanics of continental trade. It was about helping entrepreneurs begin to think like businesses preparing to trade continentally.

Tomorrow morning, participants will put that thinking into practice by working through how they would launch a product into a new market, before turning their attention to the digital systems needed to support that growth.

One day down. The opportunity is becoming more practical.

19/10/2026

19/10/2026

Hear directly from our youth: Kagisano Komme | Maun

At the Bokamoso Skills Bootcamp in Maun, Kagisano Komme shares their experience and how practical skills can help turn ideas into action and create new opportunities.

Through digital skills, entrepreneurship and innovation, Bokamoso Skills is helping young people move from learning to doing.

19/10/2026

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

For Botswana’s businesses, accessing a continental market is not only about having a good product. It is also about knowing where the opportunities are, how to reach customers digitally, how to get paid, how to move products across borders and how to meet the rules of the market.

This morning in Gaborone, 60 micro, small and medium enterprises from across Botswana, are beginning a three-day Digital Trade Training under the African Continental Free Trade Area, designed to strengthen the practical skills businesses need to compete and trade across African markets.

Joined by representatives from the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship and UNDP Botswana, participants are engaging directly on the opportunities available under the continental free trade framework and what businesses need to do to take advantage of them.

The training moves beyond understanding the agreement. Participants will work through practical areas including identifying cross-border markets, evaluating new markets, Rules of Origin, establishing a digital presence, creating product catalogues, integrating digital payment systems, logistics, last-mile delivery and regulatory compliance.

Why does this matter?

Because digital trade can reduce the distance between a local business in Botswana and a customer elsewhere on the continent. But businesses need the knowledge and systems to turn that access into sales, stronger enterprises and sustainable growth.

Over the next three days, the focus is on making the African Continental Free Trade Area practical for the businesses it was created to serve.

From local enterprise to continental opportunity.

19/10/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐂𝐅𝐓𝐀 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬? 🇧🇼

The African Continental Free Trade Area may sound like a big regional agreement, but its opportunities begin much closer to home.

During the Local Economic Development African Continental Free Trade Area Training in Serowe, Kefhilwe Tlotlo Mokotedi, MSc, MBA, BBA breaks down what AfCFTA is, why it matters for Botswana, and how greater access to African markets can create new possibilities for local entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium enterprises.

For businesses, understanding AfCFTA is about more than knowing that borders are opening. It means understanding how to become market-ready, meet trade requirements, navigate Rules of Origin, explore digital trade opportunities and position products and services to compete beyond the local market.

And that is where the link to Local Economic Development becomes important. When local businesses are better equipped to trade, grow and reach new customers, the benefits can extend into stronger enterprises, new income opportunities and more resilient local economies.

From understanding the agreement to understanding the opportunity, it starts with making AfCFTA practical for the people and businesses it is meant to serve.

19/10/2026

Skills become more powerful when they are connected to an ecosystem of opportunity.

The Bokamoso Skills national bootcamp journey continues today in Maun, bringing together young people and innovation partners around responsible AI, employability and digital capability.

Day 1 focuses on Building Your Digital Career Toolkit. Participants are working through career direction, responsible AI, prompting and verification, digital identity and safety, professional profile creation, targeted applications, and demonstrable work samples.

Participants are also being introduced to the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) opportunities and the UNV platform, connecting skills development with a wider pathway through which young people can gain experience and contribute to development.

With Innovation Kgotla contributing to the programme, the Maun bootcamp also highlights an important principle behind Bokamoso: training achieves more when learners can connect to institutions, networks and pathways that help them continue after the classroom.

This reflects UNDP Botswana's broader programme direction contributing to economic diversification, through employment and skills, strengthening MSME competitiveness and digital innovation while expanding opportunities for youth and underserved communities.

Tomorrow, participants will put those capabilities to work through entrepreneurship and innovation.

19/10/2026

The Story of Kelebogile Marape: Growing a Enterprise, Creating Opportunities

In Molepolole, Kelebogile Marape is turning locally sourced sorghum into opportunity through Mosadi Thari Milling, a women-owned enterprise creating jobs and supporting local food production.

After leaving her banking career, Kelebogile joined other women in her community to establish the milling business with support from a Government of Botswana grant. Despite drought, financial challenges and the departure of some partners, she persevered.

Today, Mosadi Thari Milling processes sorghum into meal used to prepare traditional foods such as bogobe, while providing employment opportunities for young people.

Through the LED–AfCFTA Enterprise Growth & Sustainability Programme, UNDP Botswana is helping local entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses, explore new markets and build the skills to grow sustainably.

For Kelebogile, the programme has opened new perspectives on growing her business and reaching new markets.

Her story shows how supporting local enterprises can create jobs, strengthen livelihoods and drive inclusive economic growth.

When women entrepreneurs grow, communities benefit.