Strides Magazine November issue

ISSUE 13 NOVEMBER 2021

Focus on your vision

Orange Botswana celebrates innovators

ranked among Africa’s women CEOs of Big & Complex Businesses

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2021

ISSUE 13

Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane ranked among Africa’s women CEOs of Biggest, Complex, Businesses 8 Hollard Life: Men in Purple

11

PPPS key in driving Infrastructure progress for Botswana: Stanbic Bank

16

Orange Botswana celebrates the winners of the 11th Orange Social Venture Prize

18

Driving a Culture of Recognition, Acknowledgement and Reward for Excellence

20

First Capital Bank Commemorates Breast Cancer Awareness Month

22

Top five leadership skills part one

24

How to financially survive difficult times part three

28

Khoemacau Mine revives copper mining

30

Shumba Energy fully relocates to Botswana

31

How to have your last wish respected: writing a proper will

32

For the Entrepreneur: This Path You’re on, the Vision cannot leave your sight

34

8

16

18

22 20 31 Strides Magazine

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November 2021

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from the editor

PUBLISHED BY Strides Publications (Pty) Ltd EDITOR Ephraim Banda WRITERS Wame Mhlanga Henry David contributors Aobakwe K. Sentle Dr. Wilbert Mutoko Tumelo Sejo Boitumelo Chikumbutso Chapusa Hotwire PRC Coach Princess MARKETING & ADVERTISING sstridemagazine @gmail.com CONTACTS +267 73319723 +267 77625030 DESIGN/LAYOUT Jon +267 72685191

All information is supplied without liability. Although the publisher has taken all precautions to ensure that the information is correct at the time of publication, the publisher and their agents do not accept any liability, direct or indirect, for material contained in this publication.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright owners.

expand your business horizons

77625030

Business as usual may not bring results this time around

A

fter almost two years, the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually abating.

However, the changes it brought aren’t going anywhere soon. One of the things that may not happen overnight is the return of all the employees who have been working remotely.It is interesting, therefore, to ponder about several factors that must be dealt with strategically. These include, among others, measuring employee productivity, skills development, developing equitable reward systems as well as ensuring both physical and mental health of teams.

With some employees working on site and others remotely, leaders need to devise comprehensive approaches in how they conduct employee appraisals and effect promotions or administer other rewards and incentives.

A comprehensive approach will help companies and organisations bring balance to their systems and help curtail challenges that may emanate from others feeling left out in cases of training or overworked compared to their contemporaries.

It is worthwhile to consider investing in the wellness of employees to ensure optimum

stridesmagazine 73319723 sstridesmagazine@gmail.com Strides Magazine

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November 2021

productivity. To achieve this, leaders will need to develop holistic ways to ensure both physical and mental wellbeing of the people.

Recently, there have been a lot of conversations about mental health and I am convinced that it influences one physically and eventually performance. People need counseling and affirming due to the issues they encountered or still facing in their lives. This is critical as we strive to revamp businesses and eventually economies. Something can be done about it.

Thank you for grabbing a copy of Strides, I believe you will enjoy the inspiring, educative and transformative articles in this issue.

Remember to do something for that change you desire to happen. It is possible, yes, but I think it is time we changed our approach and keep in mind that business as usual may not be effective this time.

Enjoy your read and don’t forget to focus on the great possibilities that awaits you when you dare to act and act in faith. Peace be with you.

Ephraim Banda

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COVER STORY

Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane, Managing Director at Absa Bank Botswana Ltd

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Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane

ranked among Africa’s women CEOs of Big & Complex Businesses BY: HENRY DAVID

A From a skill perspective, the researchers for this selection utiliSed a methodological assessment of leadership of complex listed entities on the African continent.

banker per excellence and a household name in the financial services sector, Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane, Managing Director at Absa Bank Botswana Ltd recently had her name etched on the Africa.com Definitive List of Women CEOs at the helm of the Biggest and Most Complex Businesses in Africa.

Of the revealed crème de la crème of the revered 50 female CEOs heading corporate Africa, she is perched among the top fifteen (15). The list was compiled over many months through a deep research effort to examine the management of big businesses in Africa by Africa.com.

Enchanted by her nomination as well as to appreciate her response to her leadership milestone, Strides recently had an enlightening conversation with this agile, open minded and trendsetting leader.

In narrating her response to the nomination, her words reveal a visionary leader poised to make waves in the industry yet modest enough not to take anything for granted.

“It really was a pleasant and affirming surprise,” says Pheko-Moshagane, noting, “I think often as leaders, especially female leaders, you question whether you are doing things right in all respects, predominantly in the current volatile environment in which we operate. Such nominations, particularly among the caliber of women I was nominated against really did boost my daily mantra that nothing is impossible.”

In reflecting on the methodology used in the nominations. The MD points out the

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need for leaders to consciously cultivate cutting-edge strengths and skills.

“From a skill perspective, the researchers for this selection utilised a methodological assessment of leadership of complex listed entities on the African continent. The candidate had to lead an entity listed on an African Exchange, with a market cap of over USD150 million USD or be a division head of an African exchange listed company, where the division itself would be valued at over USD150 million were it standalone; and finally, Africa region heads, or country heads, of globally listed companies with a market cap of over USD50 billion, “says Pheko- Moshagane, highlighting, “ This first logical approach quantified the skill aspect of the selection as you cannot lead a business with such returns that is listed and accountable to various stakeholders, if you do not have the capacity to do so.

In terms of my strength’s, I believe that my commitment to lead change in a positive manner, having led the bank through one of the biggest brand transitions in the continent, as well as always being authentic with my story of transitioning from a “tech girl” to a seasoned executive for one of the biggest financial institutions in the country.”

Pheko-Moshagane extrapolates that leadership is a progressive journey as it continues to unfold in new dimensions. Having led the back through its transition process from Barclays to Absa as well as steering it through the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, she reiterates that there is no leadership journey devoid of pitfalls.

COVER STORY

“There is no leadership journey without challenges, and the most poignant challenge I can share is the one that was brought about by the pandemic. It definitely was not easy to lead 1200 people remotely when the pandemic first broke out and challenged all the conventional ways of doing business and working that we were used to. One thing that helped me overcome this was to quickly realise what was in the ambit of my control and influence from that perspective, as opposed to dwelling on the things that I could not change. This has affected my level of resilience and made me realise that if I lead with empathy, I am able to quickly inspire people to tap into their potential and influence their level of agility despite the circumstances they face,” says the managing Director.

In addition to celebrating her nomination and emphasising on the need of self-development as a leader, she is quick to celebrate the capabilities of the other leaders with whom she is ranked.

“I am absolutely blown away by the caliber of other CEOs selected. Firstly, just looking at my peer Ms. Catherine Lesetedi, who had achieved so much and inspired a lot of young Batswana women to forge ahead in an area such as financial services, I am indeed proud that I could be considered alongside her,” she says.

The caliber of the CEOs aside, Pheko-Moshagane says she is captivated and motivated by their diverse industry backgrounds and life stories.

“Listening to some of their stories motivated me to become even more resolute in challenging the status quo. That I should not only be using my God given abilities as they are but be developing and enhancing them to achieve goals that break the glass ceiling in Botswana, in so doing leaving something for the next generation. In everything I do with my career, I strive to leave things

better than I found them. What also inspired me as I listened to other CEO stories is the case of a one lady from East Africa who was in manufacturing and had been thrust into leading a team of men in a factory when she was just 25 years old. Her story made me cognisant of the fact that I need to do my part in pushing those women with potential into opportunities that would help them forge ahead and shine. I really do believe that Mosadi Ke Thari Ya Sechaba and I ensure that I translate this saying into daily goals and action by leading with intention and inspiring the women in this country to dare the impossible,” says the Managing Director.

Drawing on the passion to leave things better than she found them, Pheko-Moshagane says she is resolute to contribute positively to people’s lives as part of her legacy indicating that it is her desire to inspire girls especially from rural Botswana aspire to do exploits in the STEM field.

“I want to inspire women to challenge themselves. I desire to empower my fellow colleagues to rise up and initiate change even though they are not guaranteed of success. It is my aim to inspire the aspiring young farmer to stop procrastinating and dare to dream big and believe in their potential. That is the legacy I would like to leave behind. Even though I might have been the first female Motswana MD for a Pan African bank like Absa, I shouldn’t be the last,” stimulates Pheko-Moshagane.

To the inspired, a gold nugget of wisdom from a progressive leader is priceless. Contemplating over the circumstances of her rising and success, she says it is imperative to live life with a growth mind set and allowing it to infiltrate it in every aspect of one’s endeavors.

“Leadership is a journey because there is no destination. It is continuous. It is intentional. It is painful sometimes, but ever so worthwhile,” concludes Pheko-Moshagane.

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KEABETSWE PHEKO-MOSHAGANE

K

nown as KB among her colleagues, Pheko-Moshagane was appointed as the Managing Director of Absa Bank Botswana Limited (“the Bank”) in April 2019.

She was the Chairperson of the Bankers Association of Botswana until April 2021. She had previously held the position of Head of Core Banking Applications after which she progressed to Head of Technology, overseeing the execution of bank projects, programmes and initiatives aimed at ensuring the business operates in a stable environment. She further held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Absa and was instrumental in driving various transformational initiatives, which contributed towards the overall performance of the Bank.

She has a background in technology, and prior to joining the Bank, she worked as a consultant for various organisations in the telco and banking industries in South Africa. She is passionate about not only technology and innovation, but also about education and women empowerment, inspiring Batswana women to take pride in their identity and contribute to society positively.

HOLLARD LIFE - MEN IN PURPLE

HOLLARD LIFE:

MEN IN PURPLE “

If my team members do not know something about insurance, it is not because I withheld the information but because I don’t know It,” Modiri Phuthego.

A veteran in the insurance industry, Modiri Phuthego, Development Manager at Hollard life oozes with astounding confidence as he expounds his vision and desire to build leaders and industry professionals of a higher pluck than himself.

To build his dream future team, Phuthego says he draws from his deep treasure of experience, and knowledge to capacitate members of his team to dare dream big to function optimally in the industry.

“I lead and guide my team in a way that will help them perform according to my expectation. I impart knowledge of the industry and guide them with empathy. If my team members do not know something about insurance, it is not because I withheld the informa- tion but because I don’t know it,” says Phuthego.

To necessitate the efficiency of the team, Phuthego says he grooms his team members to have full grasp to the products on offer and how they can market them with energy and conviction.

“I am a skilled marketer and I acknowledge it as my strength; as a leader, I expect my team members to exceed my level and be able to speak with anyone without fear or intimidation.

To achieve this, I emphasize to my team to make it their business to fully understand the business they are in and the products on offer. When one understands the products fully as well as what the business wants and the mind is aligned to the packages, he or she is empowered to go out and talk about the company and its services with renewed energy and confidence,” says Phuthego.

Modiri Phuthego Nurturing cutting-edge insurance industry leaders

Delegation is one crucial element Phuthego employs in nurturing the leadership prowess of his team. He says he came to understand this through his distinguished career that through delegation, he is able to raise individuals above their limitations.

He says by delegating responsibilities to his team members, a leader is able to help his juniors take challenges of their next possible positions as well as break free from their comfort zones.

While ensuring that he imparts knowledge to his co-workers, Phuthego highlights that it is imperative for a

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leader not to assume the Know it all attitude.

“As a leader, you cannot mold quality leaders by assuming that you know it all. You must accept that some of your team mates are smarter than you, educated than you and probably more exposed than you. Accept that some of your team members may be more techno savvy than you. So, when you cultivate an attitude of listening to your juniors, you are likely to create an atmosphere whereby they are more willing to learn from you too,” says

HOLLARD LIFE - MEN IN PURPLE

K

udzani Mbako Ketlhaotswe is one of the Insurance Musketeers at Hollard Life Botswana who is intentional to make strides in the industry Mostly. He believes in the power of motivation; however, he is quick to point out that the best of motivation is the one that comes from within at the point of challenge.

Recently, we had a chat with him and here is our conversation.

Strides: Briefly, introduce us to yourself?

Phuthego.

In order to be in sync with a team, the versatile insurer says a leader need to work on his emotional intelligence. He notes that emotional intelligence will help a person to assimilate in an organisational culture, not disturb it yet able to influence it positively.

“Emotional Intelligence has crucial contribution to the life of a leader. It helps you excel in the business community and society. It boosts your capacity in building a motivated team that will bring positive results and achieve organisational goals,’ says Phuthego, “It helps you look at things with the right perspective as well as bring balance to situations which would otherwise have been unfruitful without it.”

He says a leader with a well cultivated emotional intelligence is able to balance sustainable business growth and profitability while at the same time ensuring that the needs of the employs are well taken care of.

A father of three, two boys and a girl, Modiri Phuthego joined the insurance industry in 1989 as an underwriting clerk. He has served in dif- ferent companies in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Some of the companies he has worked with Include; BIC and Metropolitan Botswana. Throughout his illustrious career, he has served as a branch supervisor, Head of Sales and Branch Manager.

Following a head hunt, he joined Hollard in 2012 as the Head of Retail. He was instrumental in the company’s formative years and was given the designation of Acting Chief Executive Officer, a position he held for two years.

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Ketlhaotswe: Kudzani Mbako Ketlhaotswe is my name and known to many as Mbako, a renowned and articulate business development enthusiast. Married to an adorable wife with 3 loving and hyper boys and a first born of 3 (two boys and a sister). I come from a village in the Central District, approximately 110km from Francistown by the name of Mosetse aka Mosvil. I am an alumnus of the North West University, having graduated with a BSc. Agricultural Economics. Also a Certified Change Management Practitioner, through APMG International. I have worked with various organisations and government departments whilst a Consultant with a prominent Business Management Consultancy, Service Bridges Consulting (SBC). Post SBC, I joined the insurance industry and have been at it for over 10 years. My current position is Retail Sales Manager with Hollard Life Botswana.

Strides: What inspired you to pursue a career insurance?

Ketlhaotswe: Like most youngsters, it was all in the name of “greener pastures” but a couple of months down the line, the tables had turned, I appreciated that having joined the insurance industry, Life Insurance in particular, was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. The industry resonates well with one of purposes in life which is to “value people and extend a helping hand to those in need at a time of need.” With life insurance, the objective is not about the here and now, but about the future. Life insurance unlike other industries, is a promise that we will be there for

HOLLARD LIFE - MEN IN PURPLE

you in your time of need. We will either be there for you during the loss of your loved one or we will be there for your loved ones upon your demise. It is for this reason that I am indivisible from the life insurance industry.

Strides: Tell us about your experience at Hollard and how has it helped you achieve your goals so far and what can you say is your milestone in your present job?

Ketlhaotswe: For over 10 years whilst in the Insurance industry, my focus has been on the support functions, from Learning and Development to Operations to Human Resources Management, and it had been my wish to venture into life insurance advice space. Hollard has accorded me an opportunity to come out of the eclipse and be better placed to put into practice the strategies I have been crafting for the next person to implement.

Being in charge of the Retail Sales unit accords me the opportunity to enhance my relationship building skills, particularly with my Broker Partners.

As Hollardites say it, “we don’t take ourselves seriously, but what we do seriously,” Hollard’s culture enabled me to get out of my cocoon and better express my strategies without fear or prejudice.

Kudzani Mbako Ketlhaotswe

Strides: How do you keep yourself motivated when faced with a seemingly tough assignment?

Ketlhaotswe: Motivation has to be intrinsic and coming from other people should be a bonus. Self-motivation pushes one to the next level of growth.

The truth of the matter is, 90% of the time we deliver on tasks without the knowledge of our colleagues and/or principals but ourselves alone. It is in such instance where I get off my chair, raise my right hand and give myself a pat on the back with a well done message. Only I have the knowledge of how much work I have put and subsequently how much motivation I require in any given day. Furthermore, if I was to wait for someone to give me a word of encour- agement, I don’t know how long I would

Intrinsic motivation certifies growth and warrants fulfillment of one’s purpose

have to wait and, in the meantime, it would mean that I get demoralized with each day that comes by. Last but not least, I am motivated by the gentlemen whom I have temporarily housed, who are notorious for hiding my remote yet they don’t pay rent nor contribute for groceries and further expect to be paid for house hold chores. Above all, my small family keeps me on my toes, they are the reason I wake up every morning.

Strides: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

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Ketlhaotswe: I hope my superior doesn’t get to see this article...... Better yet, I hope she does and hopefully her superior doesn’t get to read it. It has always been my plan to stay at an organization nor single position for no more than 5 years hence I find this as an interesting question. I will be short and to the point, In the next 5 years I would have worked my current principal up to her next better position and have assumed my position in the Hollard Exco Team as Head of Distribution.

HOLLARD LIFE - MEN IN PURPLE

Building strategic relationships for business success

A

s Key Account Manager at Hollard Life-Distribution Unit, Richard Keabetswe Masoko is vibrant and energetic. Complementary to his vast experience in the industry and elsewhere, he has a strong drive to achieve and succeed in business development objectives.

Being one of the insurance marketing musketeers at Hollard, Masoko says through experience, he has learned the power of achieving success through building strategic and sustainable relationships.

“I have 13 years’ worth of experience in the insurance industry across different levels. I am an energetic achiever who succeeds in business development objectives set for the organization, I am a marketer vastly experienced in building relationships with key decision makers across all levels. I have worked with so many industries to bring change into them at both corporate and individual levels,” says Masoko.

To build rapport and establish relationships that results in equitable business deals, Masoko notes that he had to cultivate personal qualities that includes trustworthiness, honesty and discipline.

Having achieved outstanding sales by building sustainable business relationships, Masoko is quick to point out that the journey has not been a walk in the park.

“It’s exciting to achieve your goals or make great sales; however, it is more exciting when you reflect on the challenges you had to overcome in acquiring it,” says Masoko, adding, “The experiences and challenges revealed my other quality which is tenacity as opposed to just highlighting an easy sale. That gave me the motivation to have a firm grip on subsequent opportunities that came through.”

In addition to making progress especially in the wake of the COVID-19, Masoko indicates that he has gleaned great leadership lessons especially in how Hollard responded to the pandemic.

“Hollard is good company to work for. The COVID-19 pandemic was a serious company test. It is one of the outstanding and inspiring companies that reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic with genuine compassion. It met the challenges with creativity, heart and kindness,” he says.

Looking to the future, Masoko is optimistic for positive change after the devastating impact of the COVID-!9 pandemic.

“The covid 19 pandemic and economic fallout radically affected the insurance industry. The expectation is to

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see a change as most countries including Botswana have come with rigorous plans to roll out vaccines to the people. This will reduce the mortality rates and fuel economic activities across all industries,” says Masoko.

Keabetswe Masoko is married and blessed with 2 beautiful daughters. Prior to joining the purple team, he was the Corporate Business Manager at Metropolitan Life where he also served as a Corporate Relationship Manager. He was a Group Schemes Manager at Stanbic Bank Botswana after several stints in other industries.

November 2021

HOLLARD LIFE - MEN IN PURPLE

OloratoMbi Adaptable and open to collaboration

I

n the insurance industry by inspiration from his mentor, Olorato Mbi, a Sales Analyst at Hollard Life-Distribution is not just aware of the dynamic business demands his role requires him to meet but also intentional to deliver excellent service to customers.

Anchoring on strong belief to achieve his obligations by knowledge, experience and intuition, Mbi says he acknowledges the power of team work to augment his abilities.

“I work in an organization that engrains its values known as the ‘Hollard Way’ in its employees. One of those values is “Deliver for Customers & Partners” which is a tool I use to remind myself and my colleagues that whatever is done should always have the customer’s best interests at heart,” says Mbi, adding, “sometimes I face challenges related to the dynamic business needs of my role but I overcome them by choosing to be flexible and adaptable. I am willing to collaborate with other teams to ensure that I meet my obligations.”

Team work aside, Mbi has committed himself to take the extra mile in order to obtain the information he needs to achieve success in his work as well as his obligations to management.

“My work environment demands great responsibility. As such, I am poised to quickly learn on how I can offer optimum service. I achieve this by gathering information from various departments and optimising it to generate reports that empower management to make informed decisions. I have sharpened my Emotional Intelligence and communication skills. This, I believe is what landed me a seat on the management committee and I am glad that Hollard Life is a company that is open to ideas regardless of age, which is very fulfilling,” says Mbi. Having made strides in the insurance industry, Mbi believes there is more that insurance companies can do especially in empowering customers make informed decision through Financial Literacy. He says customers who make informed decisions have their expectations in order and not likely to lose faith in the industry.

“The insurance industry has a tremendous responsibility to educate its clients and the whole value chain on the products it offers, and how they work to ensure everybody is on the same page and can decide which products are best suited to them. I aspire to make insurance products ubiquitous where people are financially literate and can make informed decisions about their money and how to mitigate risks relating to their loved ones and assets. I also, would like to make interacting with insurance seamless and automated where the uptake of products can happen anywhere and at any time of the day,” says Mbi.

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Olorato Mbi was born and raised by a single mother in Gaborone. After completing his Senior Secondary, he was awarded a scholarship to study in Wales, UK, where he completed a 2-year post-secondary diploma known as the International Baccalaureate (IB). Thereafter, he received another scholarship to study at Methodist University (MU), North Carolina, USA. At MU, he majored in Accounting, had a double minor in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration.

While in the US, he landed two internship opportunities first as an Accounting and Finance intern after his first year for a real-estate firm in New York City. After his third year he interned at Estée Lauder Companies in the Global Strategic Pricing division.

He graduated in May of 2016 as the Valedictorian of his class and was blessed with job at a Private Equity Administration firm in New York City as an Associate Fund Accountant.

In 2017, Mbi returned to Botswana. He joined Stanford Seed, a leadership development programme funded by De Beers and developed by Stanford Univer- sity before starting his tenure in the insurance industry.

November2021

BANKING/INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

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PPPS key in driving Infrastructure progress for Botswana: Stanbic Bank

S

tanbic Bank Botswana continues to support projects that contribute to growth, employment, cohesion and environmental sustainability as part of a dedicated commitment to enhancing social, environmental and economic returns - “SEE.” Key to this is the understanding of the significant role that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) play in driving growth of infrastructure funding in a wholly sustainable manner, itself key to economic diversification and growth. The recently held Infrastructure Development Funding webinar hosted by the Bank sought to highlight the integral role of PPPs in how stakeholders can plan tangible progress in this space.

Held under the theme, “A conversation on Public Private Partnerships as a vehicle to drive infrastructure development in Botswana,” the webinar aimed at ensuring that the Bank and key partners develop strong, strategic value-based relationships with key clients and stakeholders. It further highlighted the Bank’s capabilities in helping drive infrastructure development in Botswana through PPPs and in line with the Bank’s Purpose, Botswana is our home; we drive her growth.

Stanbic Bank Botswana Chief Executive, Mr. Samuel Minta said, “This platform is one component in our wider strategy, and it represents one gesture to complement Botswana’s Vision 2036 pillar ‘Sustainable Economic Development.’ This pillar encompasses working to become a knowledge-based economy, with greater human capital, more doing business and competitiveness, and sustainable infrastructure development, to name just a few aspects. Infrastructure development is a key driver for progress in Botswana and a critical enabler for productivity and sustainable economic growth. It contributes significantly to human development, poverty reduction, and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also promotes economic growth, thus attracting foreign investors for sustainable production and productivity.”

Stanbic Bank Botswana continues to solidify its customer centricity strategy by leveraging infrastructure development as a way to build the bank for tomorrow. This is in line with the Bank’s strategy, providing platforms that are relevant to Botswana and Batswana. This webinar is yet another step in efforts to grow Botswana’s economy.

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Public Private Partnership Office Coordinator, Mr. Boniface Mphetlhe said “The Public Private Partnership Framework is based on existing policies and legal frameworks including the National Development Plan and the sectorial plans, as they reside in various entities of the Government. The Botswana PPPs’ are more focused on attaining value for money and to make sure we improve on efficiencies. The objectives of the PPPs include infrastructure development as well as setting boundaries around other players in the industry to promote economic growth.

Therefore, the key players from the private sector are suppliers, contractors, advisors, financiers and many other stakeholders who are part of Botswana’s economic growth.”

Speaking in the same vein, Stanbic Bank Botswana, Head of Wholesale Client Segment Sheperd Aisam, the conversation on Public Private Partnership as a vehicle to drive infrastructure development in Botswana.

“The PPPs are a shared value concept and a core existence meaning of purpose in the context of sustainable infrastructure development. Infrastructure development is a catalyst for growth and it provides the much-needed fluidity to evacuate goods to the market in the case of roads and railways. It provides sustainable clean drinking water and sanitation to foster a healthy population in the context of dams and water infrastructure. It helps bring energy to homes in the context of electricity, to hospitals and factories. Our role as Stanbic Bank Botswana is to connect the domestic and international capital to these projects and create that supply and demand,” said Aisam.

The Bank continues to work at every turn to unlock possibilities for Botswana and her people, thus making it possible for them to turn dreams into realities.

“As a business, we are committed to helping plan and prioritise infrastructure development, creating a culture of maintenance, targeted at raising the country’s competitiveness and attractiveness. This is with a view to fostering growth of all sectors of the economy, inclusive of the financial sector. We are here to work together to bring not only solutions and services but to share ideas and tangible outcomes that will help grow Botswana’s economy,” Concluded Minta.

November2021

Advertorial

From left to right: Batshidi Selebogo, Nene Maiga,Lone Mojalemotho, Orange Communication & PR Manager -Ratang Motladiile, and Tshoganetso Tshotlego.

Orange Botswana celebrates the winners of the 11th Orange Social Venture Prize

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n continued efforts to promote and champion active support for social innovation and entrepreneurship across the board, Orange Botswana through the Orange Foundation held the 11th Edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize, culminating in an awards ceremony on the 20th of October 2021 at Hilton Garden Inn. The Orange Social Venture Prize platform aims to reward the best innovative and socially responsible business project in Botswana. It rewards innovative projects based on Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in the following fields: education, healthcare, agriculture, mobile payments and sustainable development.

This year’s Prize was launched on the 9th of March and called for candidates to submit their application on the website. This year, Orange received 65 applications compared to 95 entries in 2020.

Out of this year’s entries, only three could emerge victorious. The best three not only gained recognition, but also walked away with the prize Strides Magazine

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money allocated winners of the National phase.

The winners are: Agrinect’s , Batshidi Selebogo, who takes home P50,000 in prize money and has been shortlisted into the international top 3 Morui USSD App developer Lone Mojalemotho takes home P30,000 in prize money, and Mosaditiya Mobile App developer Tshoganetso Tshotlego, takes home P20,000 in prize money

In her remarks, Orange Botswana CEO, Orange Botswana CEO, Ms. Nene Maiga, said , “Ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to be hosting the 11th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize, which still lives up to its commitment of empowering young Batswana through innovation. The ambition

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2 1. Orange CEO- Nene Maiga giving the key note 2. Orange Legal & Corporate Affairs Director ,Lepata Mafa-Nthomola giving introductory remarks 3. Agrinect’s Batshidi Selebogo who won 1st Prize and took home P50,000.

4. Morui USSD App developer Lone Mojalemotho who won 2nd prize.

5. Tshoganetso Tshotlego of Mosaditiya Mobile App took home the 3rd prize.

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and objective of this global platform for start-up growth and development to the country, remains true and clear. This is an occasion of cardinal significance not only for us at Orange Botswana but also to those whose projects we are here to award today. It is a true display of the commitment that all the candidates have shown towards the competition and further encourages us to strive to give back, and to do more with the resources that are within our means.”

The Orange Social Venture Prize competition takes place in two phases: National phase - each of the 17 participating Orange businesses across Africa and the Middle East assess the

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projects submitted in their respective countries, with a view towards selecting 3 winners per country. This means a total of 51 National winners. Agrinect, Morui USSD App and Mosaditiya Mobile App have successfully been named victors in this phase for 2021.

International phase - 51 National winners compete for an International Grand Prize, which is presented to the 3 final winners at the AfricaCom Awards event. The 3 winners will receive 25,000 Euro and 15,000 Euro and 10,000 Euro respectively, as well as six months of customized digital mentoring and advice from Orange experts. These international awards complete the various prizes Strides Magazine

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delivered locally to all winners.

Concluded Ms Maiga, “We encourage all those that are eligible to apply for this great initiative and to recognise this opportunity for what it is: a chance to change the story of your business for the better. It is also an opportunity to truly make your mark and move your business forward, and in doing so, make a difference. It is about, and I cannot emphasis this enough, progress. To this year’s top 3 finalists, congratulations are in order, we commend you for your resilience and hard work. I hope that today stirs inspiration in all of us and that we keep the spirit and passion of progress high even beyond today!”

HR

Driving a Culture of Recognition, Acknowledgement and Reward for Excellence

By Chedza Balopi - Head, People and Culture, Stanbic Bank Botswana

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nyone well versed in the discipline of People and Culture, Human Resources or Human Capital will tell you that the importance of the mere act of recognition and acknowledgement for a job well done is amongst the most central things towards employee satisfaction.

People want to know when they have done well, and if there is room to do even better, because it remains a basic fact of human existence that both of these are key, and that a culture of due recognition, acknowledgement and reward are an important aspect of basic people management. Indeed, more than that, it helps ensure the right culture where people feel valued and inspired to keep doing better.

In my experience in the people and culture space, a discipline I am as committed to as I am passionate about, I am always learning. The science of people, of their needs, wants, behaviours and cares is an ever-evolving one, for no two people are the same, nor are the precise details of what they care about or what they need. Being tasked with ensuring the most valuable asset in an organisation, its people, is no small task, and it means constantly working to understand people better, and to create the kind of environment and ecosystem that inspires, motivates, and encourages people to feel heard, cared for, recognised, appreciated and rewarded.

The challenge, as Mike Robbins points out for Harvard Business Review, is that “We often use the words “recognition” and “appreciation” interchangeably, but there’s a big difference between

them. The former is about giving positive feedback based on results or performance. The latter, on the other hand, is about acknowledging a person’s inherent value.” If we do not fully take the time to understand the distinction between the two, how then are we to effectively deliver on them? As Robbins notes, “In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are.”

Even further, if we do not take the time to recognise what matters most to those in our teams, then how do we ensure we help to positively contribute to these? Last but not least in that triphecta, if we do not define the expectation of excellence in our organisations, how do we expect our people to deliver on these?

Recognition can often come in the form of monetary rewards, job perks and associated benefits. These are very much, at this point, standard practice in any organisation. Remunerate people fairly, and consider incentives that can help speak to their needs for security through bonuses, performance based incentives and rewards. I would shudder to think any modern day professional business falls short in this arena, but the truth is, many often and oftentimes do. Stories of poor-paying companies who leave their employees hanging each month waiting for their due salaries, underpaying and yet overworking their people, and cutting corners to cheat their staff out of owed benefits are all

too common, and no doubt an area we all need to work to address. This is where Human Resources associations and even the Department of labour can intervene – fair and best practice being kept in check.

The space we need to be focusing on as we look at futureproofing our businesses and our teams is well beyond the necessary and expected. It traverses into the space of appreciation for our people, and this means getting to know and care for them, in a way that traditional businesses may never have done before. Allow your teams to feel valued, cared for and appreciated; let them see the human side of an organisation in how it sees its people, treats its people and looks out for its people, because the need for validation and appreciation is just as important in the grander scheme of things, and indeed din Maslow’s infamous hierarchy of needs.

Oprah Winfrey once addressed graduates at a Harvard University ceremony, and key in her remarks for me was the following: “I have to say that the single most important lesson I learned in 25 years talking every single day to people was that there’s a common denominator in our human experience….The common denominator that I found in every single interview is we want to be validated. We want to be understood.

I’ve done over 35,000 interviews in my career. And as soon as that camera shuts off, everyone always turns to me and

“In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are.”

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inevitably, in their own way, asks this question: “Was that OK?” I heard it from President Bush. I heard it from President Obama. (…) I even heard it from Beyoncé.”

It is a need for reassurance and validation, and it is met simply by articulating and gesturing “that was great” or “well done, I appreciated that.” No matter your rank in the business, who would not want to hear these from a supervisor or colleague?

To know you matter and your role in the system or in the team is not simply important, but is seen to be important.

Of course, acknowledgement must be given to the deserving, and not doled out without merit.

A survey by Glassdoor, it was found that employers were more likely to retain half of their employees longer if bosses showed more appreciation.

According to Glassdoor, 53% of people who partook in the survey shared this view, while 68% said their boss already shows them enough appreciation. Nobody is suggesting going beyond reason, but within fair limits, appreciation for our people can have tremendous benefits, whether done in one on one sessions, informal email, through team meetings or even in staff awards. Enhancing our efforts in both recognition and appreciation can ultimately help us to better retain top talent, increase employee engagement, and encourage high performance.

At Stanbic Bank, we host the Mark of Excellence Awards every year for staff, a glitzy engagement that is part of the Standard Bank Group-wide Beyond Excellence programme just for staff. This is a human capital driven initiative that seeks to recognise, appreciate and reward excellence in the workplace. The focus is on identifying, through peer nomination, the growth of champions of excellence in the business: members of staff who were duly recognised for exceeding expectations by going the extra mile. This stems from their firm belief that an excellence state of mind and demonstrable excellence delivery are paramount to ensuring a sound customer experience.

We recognise them, we thank them, we profile them and we learn from them.

We understand the need to acknowledge and honour those who continuously drive us towards our purpose and promise, those who understand, in line with the philosophy of our business that dreams matter and that if we all put in the effort and passion to take uncharted paths that lead to growth, we all win.

We are firm believers at Stanbic Bank Botswana in the fact that the great work of our team ought to be recognised, acknowledged and celebrated, both in terms of individuals and as collectives.

Our more digitised future rests on the foundation of strong culture and strong teams, for the human experience can never be wholly removed, nor should it be. What, then, are we doing to invest in ensuring we retain and attract the very best people? It starts with us, and it starts with simple recognition and acknowledgement; a simple “That was great,” can often be the best place to begin.

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Chedza Balopi

At Stanbic Bank, we host the Mark of Excellence Awards every year for staff, a glitzy engagement that is part of the Standard Bank Group-wide Beyond Excellence programme just for staff.

CSR/HEALTH

First Capital Bank Commemorates Breast Cancer Awareness Month Strides Magazine

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o commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), First Capital Bank Botswana recently donated P40,000 (forty thousand Pula) to the Journey of Hope Botswana, a breast cancer awareness Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to taking breast cancer awareness throughout Botswana. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Botswana, largely due to late diagnosis.

Journey of Hope Botswana was started in 2009 by Bev Denbury, Rita Keevil and Marilyn Garcin in response to their realisation that many women were unaware of the signs of breast

cancer, and that there was a lot of value in being able to detect the signs early to avoid unnecessary deaths. Their message is Touch. Look. Check (TLC) and Tshwara. Leba. Tlhatlhoba (TLT).

Through this message they encourage men and women to self-screen at least once a month, so that they are quick to have any changes checked by their healthcare provider.

Making the donation, First Capital Bank Chief of Staff and Head of Marketing and Communications, Hajra Mahomed-Tajbhai said, “With our commitment to help the communities that we operate in, the Bank found it imperative to partner with Journey of

Hope Botswana in their mandate to educate citizens about breast cancer and promote early detection. This partnership was very important since the COVID-19 challenges have hindered the usual awareness trips that the NGO undertakes each year to take awareness throughout Botswana. According to the statistics shared by Journey of Hope Botswana, in 2019 a total of 1401 breast examinations were performed during their 6 day visit to clinics in the Kgalagadi District, and this resulted in 106 patients requiring breast ultrasounds, fine needle aspirations and biopsies. This is compared to only 43 patients from the Kweneng District needing further examinations after the 2018 awareness drive. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, breast cancer awareness remains a top priority for Journey of Hope Botswana.”

Onica Lekuntwane, Journey of Hope Coordinator, accepted the donation on behalf of Journey of Hope Botswana.

“It is always heart-warming to work with organisations that are willing to extend a helping hand and strive to better the communities in which they operate in. This donation will indeed go a long way in helping us as Journey of Hope achieve our mandate and potentially save lives,” said Lekuntwane.

According to the World Health OrStrides Magazine

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ganization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), breast cancer and cervical cancer remain the leading causes of cancer deaths in Botswana.

Breast cancer statistics in Botswana from 2009 to 2018 show a steady increase in annual cases. Since 2009 there have been approximately 1523 recorded cases of breast cancer in Botswana – 65 of which were men. Sadly, over 70 percent of patients seek medical attention when they are in the latter stages of the disease, which commonly results in loss of lives.

This is something that Journey of Hope Botswana intends to change, so that more cases are diagnosed earlier when they are cheaper and easier to treat.

Whilst genetics and age are known causes of breast cancer, it has now been classified as a non- communicable disease, because it can also be caused by our lifestyle choices.

“We all know someone who has been directly or indirectly impacted by this disease and we share a responsibility to increase awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection and diagnosis,” said Mahomed-Tajbhai, adding, “Through our budding relationship with Journey of Hope Botswana, we hope to make a difference in the communities we manage and encourage more people to support this critical cause, as together, we can Give Hope and Save Lives.”

LEADERSHIP

Top five leadersh

By Dr. Wilbert R. Mutoko (PhD, FHEA)

Dr. Wilbert R. Mutoko (PhD, FHEA) is a business doctor, researcher and senior lecturer for Leadership, Strategy, Change Management and Entrepreneurship at Botswana Accountancy College in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University (UK), University of Derby (UK), and University of Sunderland (UK).

He is a dynamic and entertaining International Inspirational Speaker, Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, Certified eSpeaker & Online Facilitator, and Author for almost two decades.

Dr. Mutoko has empowered over hundreds of CEOs, directors, and managers to discover their strengths, sharpen their presentation skills, build self-confidence and emotional intelligence, and harness capabilities to build winning teams; to become peak performance leaders with increased profitability.

His three books on financial freedom and relationships are available at Exclusive Books (Riverwalk) and Bala Books (Rail Park Mall). Dr. Mutoko writes in his personal capacity. For feedback, you can contact him on email: wilbert@ wilbertmutoko.com or wilbertmutoko@gmail. com. Visit Dr. Mutoko’s website: https:// wilbertmutoko.com/

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eadership can only be effective if you acquire skills and sharpen them over the years. The top leadership skills that we considered in part one included integrity, ability to mentor your juniors, and decisiveness.

In this part two we look at ability to delegate, communication, and empathy.

Ability to delegate No matter how hardworking, smart, or committed you are as a leader, there is no way you can do everything by yourself. You may be able to get by alone when the organization is small. However, as the organization grows and your time becomes strained, you need to learn to delegate duties to your juniors. If you do not believe me, ask the biblical Moses who was working from dusk till dawn judging people’s cases. One day his father-in-law Jethro advised him to set other judges to sit over smaller matters. After Moses set the ‘smaller’ judges, he suddenly had time for more important matters and time for himself. If you do not delegate, you will experience burnout and possibly fall sick. In some cases, lack of delegation limits your growth and that of the firm. However, delegation is easier said than done. Many leaders find it difficult to delegate duties because they do not believe that there is any other person who can do what they do.

Imagine! If CEOs did not want to delegate, would we be having big enterprises such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn, Mascom, Orange, Botswana Telecommunications, and Botswana Post? The answer is NO. Research says that if you can find anyone who can do up to 85% of what you can do, feel free to delegate to them.

Now somebody’s challenge is that they want perfectionism. They would never delegate to anyone who cannot do 100% of what the leader can do. If you are one of such leaders, it might be time you learn to delegate. However, delegation does not mean that you give all your duties to juniors while you are sleeping. Do I need to emphasize that anymore? There must be a balance when delegating.

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Communication Any leader who does not communicate effectively is signed up for frustration and failure.

Communication skills are crucial whether you are within a team, or you are communicating with the outside world. It is imminent for every leader to sharpen their presentation skills and listening skills which all form part of communication skills. On a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the worst and 10 being the best), how good are you at communication?

Empathy is one of the qualities of a successful leader

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hip skills part one Organizational communication failure will then spell a disaster in branding and marketing, which boils down to business failure.

What steps are you taking to improve your communication skill? How good is your team in communication? What are you doing as a leader to improve the communication skills of your team? Remember that if your team is not good at communication, it will affect your own communication and organizational communication. Organizational communication failure will then spell a disaster in branding and marketing, which boils down to business failure. Consider examples of great communicators such as Winston Churchill,

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Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, Sam Walton, and Jack Welch among others.

Can we add your name to this list of great communicators? If not, why? If yes, why?

Empathy A successful leader is one that has empathy. Empathy is one of the major components of emotional intelligence.

Empathy entails ability to understand and share in other people’s feelings. It means being able to put self in other people’s shoes. Have you ever seen leaders who do not care about their team? There are people in leadership positions who show no empathy. That is quite sad. People who can not show others empathy tend to expect empathy from others. I wonder how that works! Empathy manifests itself in the leader’s choice of words, ability to listen, and ability apologize when the leader makes mistakes. Your team will respect you if you avoid cursing words, hurtful and inconsiderate words, whether verbally or via written media. Please show some empathy to people around you, they need it, and you need it too. Some of the outstanding leaders in history include Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Hollywood Actress Hilary Swank, George Orwell, among others. Are you one of the examples of highly empathetic leaders today?

Conclusion As a leader, you need to be consistently looking for ways to increase and polish skills and competencies. Lack of skills and competencies negatively affect leadership growth and eventually the culture of the whole organization. In this part two, we have looked at ability to delegate and communication skills, then I gave you a bonus skill – empathy, to make all the skills in the two articles six.

I wish you the best of every success as a leader. Together we will sail through this crisis.

Feel free to email me any feedback and/or suggestions for the future articles.

PERSONAL FINANCE

How to financially survive difficult times part three Welcome to this series where we share ways to financially survive difficult times. In part two we discussed how to increase income or cut costs through selling some properties and belongings, move in with parents or friends, share accommodation, move back to the village, and share transportation. In this part, we look at how individuals can increase income or cut down expenditure through carrying food from home, having a garden, and children home schooling.

By Coach Princess - Award in Financial Planning (CII, UK), COP (ZW), ToT (BW)

Carry food from home

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ave you ever calculated how much money you spend per month in buying food whether from restaurants, takeaways, or on the street? For example, in Gaborone, a plate of breakfast costs p15 to p20, while a plate of lunch costs p20 to p30.

If you buy lunch daily for approximately twenty days per month, that means you spend p400 per month on lunch alone. If you choose to buy food from fast food restaurants you may pay p50 to p100 for lunch.

Therefore, if you spent p80 per day, in twenty days, you would have spent p1600 per month. Now, if you earn enough money and you have enough money in your savings, there is no problem with you spending this kind of money on lunch. However, if you are struggling to make ends meet, you will do yourself a favor to prepare your favourite meal and carry it to work.

It is better to invest in buying a lunch container that keeps your food warm for some hours. Some people prefer to warm the food at work in the microwave oven. However, there are some questions around the safety of using the microwave. Nevertheless, some experts say that if you use the recommended microwave plates, you will be safe. I will leave that to you to decide. I have seen many people who have made drastic decisions concerning cutting costs by carrying food from home after they read Dr Wilbert Mutoko’s book – 15 Secrets for Financial Success. That book could work wonders for you as well if you read it. Avoid living for your belly.

Have a backyard garden Having a home garden has always been a good idea which helps you to plant organic vegetables and fruits.

Imagine just going to the back of your garden and you come back to the kitchen carrying carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, and so on! Having a garden does not only help you to eat food that you know, but it helps you to save a lot of money and time in the process. What if you do not have space in your yard, or you do not own the premises? Well, do not worry. These days you can plant vegetables and fruits in buckets and tins the same way that some people plant flowers. So, do you see that there is no excuse. You can put a few vegetables and herbs in containers around your room or house, and you will enjoy organic food! What are you waiting for? I am waiting for your testimony.

Children home schooling Taking children to school can be very costly, especially private schools. If Strides Magazine

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you afford to pay the fees, that is good.

However, in tough times, you will be surprised that if you find competent and experienced teachers from either private or public schools, they can offer tuition to your children and your children will pass amazingly. On average, a private secondary school in Botswana will charge around P30 000 per year. Imagine how much you will cut in fees if you opt for home schooling! I have nothing against private schools. However, when pockets are bleeding why would you put yourself in financial troubles taking children to expensive schools then fail to pay for university fees?

Conclusion Thank you for reading this article.

I hope it inspires you to find ways to reduce expenses and to increase income during these tough times. Sometimes saving money looks more difficult that it really is possible. Stay safe and strong.

I hope to see you when I bring article part four.

Feel free to email me any feedback and/or suggestions for the future articles.

AGRICULTURE

Selebi Phikwe Citrus project am

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t has been almost a year since President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi officially kick-started the Selebi Phikwe Citrus Project — a multi-million pula agro-business project poised to change the landscape of Botswana’s agricultural sector.

The Selebi Phikwe Citrus is a 1,500 hectare horticultural development in the Selebi Phikwe region. Intended as a flagship project for the country, it will set in motion the growth of the country’s agriculture industry.

Once fully set up, Selebi Phikwe Citrus will be one of the largest consolidated citrus enterprises in Southern Africa.

The 1,500-hectare site will enclose 1,200 hectares of citrus orchards, planned to be developed between 2020 and 2025.

A delegation led by President Masisi, comprising cabinet ministers and high-ranking government officials on 27 October 2021 visited the project to appreciate its progress.

The project draws water from Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) connection through a 10 km pipeline. Laying of the pipe was completed in December 2020.

The pipeline’s function is to transport water from WUC in Selebi Phikwe to the different irrigation and water reservoir dams around the farm. The pipeline is 10 km long and approximately 1,666 pipes were laid in the ground to complete the line.

The first step of the process was preparing the ground for the pipeline.

Two Wheel Dozers were used to clear the bushes, followed by excavators that excavated the soil from the ground. As soon as the digging was done, rollers were responsible for preparing the pipe bed.

The pipes were transported from storage to the pipeline with two specially built pipe trailers. Once they have arrived, the pipes were placed in the ground and two TLB’S were used to cover the pipes and secure the ground.

Planting of citrus trees took full momentum in May 2021. The first orchards to be fully planted consist of

Star Ruby grapefruit and this makes up about 140 hectares (95 000 trees).

Some local Botswana farmworkers prepared land for citrus orchards, installed extensive irrigation systems, and planted citrus trees for the very first, meaning significant skill and knowledge transfer.

During the month of May, the team increased their capacity from planting 260 trees on the first day, to comfortably handling the planting of 6 000 trees per day, mirroring massive achievement for the team.

In August 2021, the project continued on an upward trajectory on site as the team started first with the Eureka Lemons and progressed with ground preparation for the other parts of the farm.

In September, bush clearing continued, reaching about 800 hectares, the team on-site started planting first sweet oranges, Bennie Valencias. As of September 2021, 95 000 Star Rubie trees were planted on 140 hectares, 35000 Eureka Lemons trees were planted on 50 hectares, 44 000 Bennie Valencias trees on 60 hectares.

Labour for the Selebi Phikwe Citrus project is primarily sourced from the Selebi Phikwe area, which is expected to be in ample supply given the liquidation of the BCL mines. Currently, the project employs just over 200 locals from the SPEDU region.

The project will ultimately employ over 1,500 permanent and seasonal

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mong Southern Africa’s biggest workers at its peak, to a great extent mitigating the unemployment tragedy caused by the closure of the BCL mines.

When officiating during the ground breaking ceremony in December last year, President Masisi said the Selebi-Phikwe Citrus Project is in alignment with government’s strategy to modernize the country’s agricultural sector with the view to boost food security and nutrition in Botswana.

He expressed confidence that the project, with an initial investment of P300 million, will transform the landscape of citrus production in Botswana and contribute to the economic growth of the SPEDU region and the country as a whole.

When in full production, some 70000 tonnes of citrus will be produced annually. The bulk of this, approximately 70% will be exported to Northern Hemisphere markets such as the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, China and Japan. The balance will go to the Botswana market, SADC and a small percentage to Agro-processing e.g. fruit juice.

The Selebi-Phikwe Citrus project farm is rented from Mmadinare Cooperative society. The Project funders and shareholders are amongst others Choppies Chief Executive Officer Ramachandran Ottapathu, and Netherlands incorporated agribusiness firms Afrigold Holdings B.C and Zapemm B.V.

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MINING

Khoemacau Mine revives copper mining • • •

New Mine set to produce 3.65 million tonnes annually Copper production to boosts local mining sector Govt, Khoemacau invested a total of P12 billion

STRIDES WRITER

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otswana’s Khoemacau Copper Mine, is revitalizing the mining of copper as it targets to produce 3.65 million tonnes per annum as the country diversifies away from diamonds.

Khoemacau Mine opened doors in July as a result of the Public-Private -Partnership between the Government of Botswana and Khoemacau Mine, contributing P2 billion and P10 billion respectively.

Taking the media on the mine operations, Plant Country Manager Mompati Babusi said the mine is presently producing the highest grade of copper in South Africa to be exported on weekly basis.

He said the mine is anticipating to increase its operations or activities to full output through 2021.

“As of July, the total ore produced is 429 kilotonnes while a total of 111 kilotonnes of ore was crushed and 3,765 tonnes of copper/silver concentrate producing 1,293 tonnes of contained copper, which equals 34.4% copper concentrate. The mine production has increased with the expansion of Zone 5 and new mine development at Mango NE, NE and Zone 5 North. The Processing capacity has increased from 3.65 million tonnes per annum to an approximately eight million tonnes per annum due to the construction of a new concentrator at Zone 5,” he said.

Khoemacau has the capacity to produce 155,000 to 165,000 tonnes of high-grade copper and silver concentrate a year, containing approximately 60,000 to 65,000 tonnes of payable copper and 1.8 to two million ounces of payable silver and expects to achieve this production rate in 2022.

According to the company, the mining and construction workforce onsite peaked at more than 2,300 in late

March with more than 92% Batswana employed in the mining, construction and operations teams.

Meanwhile, President Mokgweetsi Masisi reiterated Khoemacau full support from the government.

“Government will support the Mining Industry through infrastructure development which includes; cross-border railways, roads across the country; electricity infrastructure; and major water transfer schemes. Let me categorically state that I am leading a result- oriented Government that will make sure that our promises become a reality. When I launched the North West Transmission Grid at Mawana, near Maun in April 2021 – another successful initiative, I highlighted that the electricity grid connection will bring with it economic opportunities to the Ngamiland region,” said Masisi officially opening mine.

Masisi said the Grid Connection is benefitting Khoemacau making the Mine a viable and the sustainable business enterprise adding that Government of Strides Magazine

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Botswana and Khoemacau Mine.

Government has invested over two billion Pula whilst Khoemacau has invested more than ten billion Pula (P10 billion), in this important project which will contribute significantly to growth of the economy.

“I recently announced that we should revisit our problem- solving strategies; that we regroup; that we reset in order to deliver the promises we made to Batswana in 2019. The Value chain development which encompasses citizen economic empowerment is one of the priorities under the Reset Agenda as they will unlock opportunities for the newer, high-growth companies in the private sector and create youth employment among other citizen empowerment attributes,” he added.

Botswana stopped copper production in 2016 when the Selebi Phikwe BCL mine ceased operations.

With the Khoemacau mine on board, it is anticipated that it will give glimpse on copper mining.

MINING

Shumba Energy fully relocates to Botswana

• As company leaves the Mauritius marketplace • Redomicile process to finish in November 2021 • Shumba to list on the BSE domestic main board

Mashale Phumaphi

Strides Writer

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he Botswana Stock Exchange Limited (BSE) listed Shumba Energy Limited a company originally from Mauritius has kick started its journey to redomicile or fully relocate from Mauritius to Botswana.

The company which has since announced the plans to sell its coal projects in the country and focus of renewable energy, is planning to move to Botswana to expedite its commercialization projects. It has communicated in a circular to its shareholders through the BSE board that it’s targeting November 2021 to have its corporate offices incorporated into Botswana’s jurisdiction.

The company says it target the Completion of Delisting of the Shumba Energy Mauritius 12 November 2021 Shumba Energy (Botswana) and to commence Listing Process with BSE 19 November 2021.

In a recent statement, the company directors announced that the business which has been domiciled in Mauritius will be moving to Botswana intends to list on Botswana Stock Exchange domestic main board.

The dual listed energy company is currently trading on the Botswana Stock Exchange foreign board.

Co-Founder and Chairman of Shum-

ba Energy, Alan M. Clegg, said that although the company has generated a reasonable amount of capital on the BSE Foreign Venture Board, a development on the Domestic Main Board will allow the company to raise the capital required to get the assets in production and also attract a larger number of investors.

“The reorganization will also allow Shumba Energy (Botswana), that owns the operational and resource assets of the Group, to achieve significant savings in overhead costs and the administrative efficiencies through reduced overhead costs in maintaining the Mauritius domiciled corporate entities and the compliance and reporting requirements associated with this legacy corporate structure that is no longer providing value to the Shareholders,” buttressed Shumba boss, Clegg Locally, the Managing Director of Shumba Energy Botswana-Mashale Phumaphi revealed that the company intends to sell its coal projects as part of its redomicile progress from Mauritius to Botswana.

According to Phumaphi, the company intends to appoint a specialist advisors to assist the company in developing and implementing an appropriate strategy so to monetize its fossil fuel Strides Magazine

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assets and assess their migration into a more appropriate company vehicle including interalia potentially merging them with other players in the space to add scale and focus on fossil fuels.

Shumba Energy has been developing renewable energy opportunities for several years to incorporate into the longer-term growth plans of the business.

Currently, the company’s renewable energy project on rapid advancement is Tati Solar Project, a 100 MW solar project near the second capital Francistown.

One of the company’s exciting project is the Mabesekwa coal project based in the Francistown region.

“The project has a total of 0.9 billion tonnes gross in-situ. In 2018 the company entered into a partnership agreement with Kibo Energy plc, an AIM listed entity whereby Shumba retained 15% of the prospecting license. The project is covered by 1 license which is up to date and current with the department of mines. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and mine feasibility have been completed.

A mining license application has been submitted to the department of mines,” says Shumba.

Law

How to have your last wish respected: writing a proper will

W

e are living in perilous times, life is so uncertain because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People are dying at a mesmerizing rate and we cannot say who will be next.

It is imperative, therefore, that every person be prepared for the worst. It is not lack of faith to write a Will, it is called preparedness and it is important for every one of us to do due diligence into how proprietary matters shall be handled after our demise. Whereas it seems intimidating, unpleasant or even scary to most people to draw a Will, a Will is your last wish that you intend to have respected after you are gone, as such, the Will has to be written in a manner that will make it acceptable and legal. There are certain Wills which will not meet the required legal set

standard to the extent that the deceased will be rendered intestate.

A Will is a legal document which is drawn by a person while they are still alive (inter vivos) and is intended to give an instruction to the beneficiaries of the person who draws the Will. This person who draws the will is called a testator. The will can thus be called the last will or testament of the testator.

The Will only works when the testator dies. It is of paramount importance that the Will should be clear and concise because it will be difficult to execute an instruction that even the beneficiaries of the deceased estate do not understand.

The Will gives certainty to the identity of the property left behind by the deceased. This means it will be easy for the beneficiaries to know exactly what Strides Magazine

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By: Beaven (Llb, Llm Sa)

the deceased left, what was his property.

Any person aged 16 and above in his right faculties, meaning a person who is not mentally challenged, intoxicated or drugged can make a will. No gender is discriminated, both male, female and the transgender can make a will. Normally, and particularly among Africans, if anyone will write a Will then it will be a man, to protect his property and direct its distribution, but, even women should be encouraged to write Wills.

If there is need for a minor to write a Will then it must be done through their legal guardians and filed of record with the High Court as the upper guardian of all minors.

The Will should be drawn to distribute property that is owned by the testator, whether in undivided shares as

in the case of people married in community of property or any other property owned by the testator. It is therefore illegal for the testator to distribute property that does not belong to them in their Will. The testator should be able to state who the intended beneficiaries are, but of course this will be put into the two broad categories of heirs and legatees. An heir is that beneficiary who will take a share of property allocated to them after the expenses for example the funeral and every other creditor of the deceased has been paid, whatever remains will be distributed among the heirs. The heirs therefore have to be specified. Legatees on the other hand are those beneficiaries who do not wait for any expense or creditor to be paid, they have a specific item/s allocated to them for instance, the White Mercedes Benz ML500 goes to my nephew, Peace. So in this case, Peace will be legatee and gets the car before the heirs inherit.

It is critical in this regard to take note that if the testator has got a marriage in community of property, he must not distribute property that is jointly owned, as though it were his, in toto. The testator will also protect the interests of under aged beneficiaries by including them in the will. The other issue which usually caused people headaches were to do with children born out of wedlock, whether from the maternal or paternal side. If one marries a woman who has her own child/children those children have got a legal right to inherit from their mother’s estate. An estate means all the property or finances that a person gathers during his lifetime, that which is left behind by the deceased is called the deceased estate. Beneficiaries are those who benefit from the deceased estate.

From a parent, descendants, meaning children and the surviving spouse/s are legally allowed as heirs. If there are no children and surviving spouse/s, the parents of the deceased may inherit.

Under no circumstances may siblings or parents of the deceased person inherit ahead of the deceased’s children and surviving spouse/s. This is important to know when one is drawing up a Will, so that the it will be legal so that it will

not be nullified or contested.

If there is anyone who is not contend about the Will, they may contest the Will of the deceased person in the High Court. The High Court will hear the matter and determine the verdict.

This means that some of the wishes of the deceased may be changed by the court for instance where a husband who was not in good books with his wife or children dies and leaves all his estate to his young brother. This can be successfully challenged in a court of law.

So, you have drawn up your Will, where do you keep it? A will can be kept by your lawyer, banker, yourself or a friend. The most important thing is that the formalities for making the will have been adhered to and that the will is registered with the Master of High court.

One of the most fundamental aspects of a will is that it should be signed by the testator at the end. Two witnesses shall attest the will by appending their signatures in the presence of each other and the testator as well although they do not have to read the contents of the will. Every Page of the will should be initialed. If the Will is not signed by these three in the prescribed format the will is null and void. If therefore Dimagatso writes a will and signs it alone or with one witness, then keeps it under her mattress in her bedroom, when she dies, Strides Magazine

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she will be rendered intestate because the proper procedures of Will writing were not followed.

In the Will the testator should appoint an executor of the estate (Executor testamentary), but if she fails to appoint the executor the Master of High Court will convene and edict meeting wherefrom an Executor Dative is appointed. The executor operates in the shoes of the deceased; she is the manager of the deceased estate. She pays the expenses of the deceased and she distributes the property to the heirs and legatees. Her job ends when all debtors and creditors have been cleared and the legatees and heirs paid.

It is therefore very important for every person above the age of 16 and with some property to protect to draw up a will. The person has to be in their normal faculties and not under influence of drugs, intoxication or mentally challenged You can draw the will yourself or use the expert services of a lawyer so as to avoid mistakes of content.

In the next article, I will explain more about Wills and codicils, inheriting per stirpes, qualifications of an executor and letters of administration. billy.bliss@live.com

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

For the Entrepreneur:

This Path You’re on, the Vision cannot leave your sight

T By: Chikumbutso Chapusa

For every action there is an effect, for every planted seed, a harvest.

Choose to be passionate about your vision and relentlessly pursue it.

here have been taxing moments in my journey as an entrepreneur.

Nonetheless, I am a firm believer that my business and life purposes are not peas from different pods and hence resolute to take the extra mile. At the onset of my business, I was not aware that I will encounter situations that will make me feel stuck or that people would try to bring me down when the business was but only a seed not yet in the ground though steadfastly planted in my heart.

Frankly, my business experience has been a test of the things I have written as regards the making of an independent woman; and now, I understand that life can give you an exam on matters you deem yourself an expert. The irony of life is that by the end of the day, there is not a clear path along your life purpose.

Following my intuition, I proceeded to launch my fashion designing career and have always felt fulfilled every time I have successfully dressed a client. Seeing a customer dressed in my products gives me the wow feeling; the I am home type of feeling. I am big on excellence and attention to detail with my products, so yes, I have arrived every time I deliver excellently but the journey always has to go on.

In essence, the road to success is not an overnight affair or is it a bed of roses.

You feel drained running your brand. One need to understand that success is not a destination but a journey with processes as well as stages. It is a campaign that demands full attention and focus driven by vision.

The vision invigorates you and gives you the stamina to face and overcome circumstances that would otherwise force you to throw in the towel.

As an entrepreneur; the vision enables

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you to accept without qualms the ups and downs of life and reinforces your belief that such occurrences are not meant to make you fail. Understand, therefore, that visions need preparing and that process doesn’t cease at start-up.

There is much of becoming that we have to do, the building material is not just packaged as success, along with it comes the mistakes that when embraced positively makes us wiser. The challenges build our endurance as well as patience as the vision gives us the why we started in the beginning. It gives us the impetus to march towards our set milestones one at a time.

Allow the process to come full cycle and don’t expect to come to fruition overnight. Be confident that things will work out in your favour eventually, do not panic. Building a brand requires resilience, it will let you sit in pity but only for a bit, the show must go on and you are the lead character, you are the director so if you need to be flexible and readjust from time to time without losing sight of the score line.

For every action there is an effect, for every planted seed, a harvest. Choose to be passionate about your vision and relentlessly pursue it. No matter how long it takes, understand that your idea will take shape and though people will only see the end result you share a stronger bond with that end product, you showed up, nurtured and never left when it got tough.

Dear entrepreneur, a lot will be required of you but may you never lose your fire, take breaks along the way but your vision? Your vision, keep that ever before you, let the passion that rages within you hold your hand. One thing for sure, it will work out, the wins and losses are necessary.

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