FutureLab Magazine Volume 02|2020

FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

0202 | 2O .ON EMULOV

MATLHOGONOLO MPONANG

GRO.NOITADNUOFOKEREP.WWW

LAW, TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS TRENDS

AN HR PROFESSIONAL WITH MANY HATS An exclusive interview that takes us into the future of work.

REDESIGNING PUBLIC SAFETY.

IS BUY-FROM-MOTSWANA CHICKEN PROJECT A REALITY OR FANTASY?

THE FUTURE OF FOOD IN BOTSWANA IS IN PROCESSING.

HELLO THERE, READER! This month we launched the FutureLab Magazine and the reaction from our readers was overwhelmingly beautiful. To show our appreciation and love, we organized a sip & launch session with our team to share a meal with our supporters to get their feedback. Even though we wished to carry on as normal, we still had to observe the social distancing regulations and kept our conversations short over drinks & dinner.

This made us realize that theres so much that can be achieved through social connection and no matter the circumstances, human beings will still find ways to belong through community.

That is why on this publication today, we bring you a special edition on LIFESTYLE so that you still get to connect with others at the comfort of your home. I hope you will love it.

YOURS TRULY, RETHABILE KONOPO EEDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

from the editor

FutureLab Magazine table of con tents 03 Exclusive Interview 05 Redesigning Public Safety using Design Thinking

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12 Is buy-fromMotswana chicken project a reality or fantasy?

15 Digital Financial Literacy: the New Normal 17 'The ABCs of Design Thinking': it's a PlayBook 20 The Future of Food in Botswana is in Processing.

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22 Social Eating in the Digital Age

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Highlights of the Magazine Launch

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FutureLab Magazine (+267) 71 404 194 | fergusonjunior.rk@gmail.com Subscribe: www.perekofoundation.org

- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW How do you look back at your professional journey traversed thus far? Could you share some of the experiences you've had that really stick out for you?

Also, what are your key learnings?

My professional journey is one that I have curated with intent. I am transformational in nature and so I have never had one role longer than 4 years. I go into an organization and disrupt it positively and then move on. I get bored by normalcy and have never been able to do business as usual work. Mediocrity is simply not my thing. I don’t do coasting and surviving on the sidelines. The day I feel like not getting up to work is the day I resign. I like to see the impact of my work in the lives of the populations I serve. I like to improve on the argument of the organizations I choose to work for. I choose where I want to work and with intent, I pursue

Matlhogonolo Mponang

opportunities there. I am past the point of applying for roles I

I understood that it was not personal. It was needed to

am not headhunted for and I am headhunted on a weekly basis. And I do not say this to brag. It is a statement of fact.

get him and his organization where he wanted it to go and

I love my current job. I am not moving anytime soon because

still am for the exposure he afforded me the organization

it was his right to shape it as he did. Grateful as I was and ceased to serve my purpose. It stopped deserving the

it is an amazing place to work with so much content and I am

privilege of my time. We often feel that we are being

a content junkie. I consume knowledge by the minute. I am

done a favor by being kept employed but no- we choose

not good at small talk. If you cannot dialogue in an elevated

where we go and we should. I have never looked back. I

fashion I book out and switch off. So I cannot occupy spaces that do not challenge my own assumptions. I am a learner and can only work for people that are invested in my exposure, so

have hired so many people that I spotted as talent and most of them are ExCo in many organizations across industries- I consider that to be my greatest professional

that I in turn can do the same for others. I delegate to the

achievement- the uplift of others to get to the places that

point of abdication because I want those I leave behind

many are told they will never get to and to sit in chairs

empowered, well informed and enabled to take after me. I am

around tables that were in the past reserved for those

also a doer, so I do not do well in spaces of verbose architecture. I think that the world is full of empty talk.

with social connections.

We need to DO. I have walked away from talking boardrooms

I consider myself the voice of the slave and downtrodden.

that do nothing. I do not want my legacy to be that of failure

In me is an abiding belief that anyone from anywhere can be anything they choose to be. I am passionate about

and so I run away from inertia faster than Nigel Amos can run

social justice and have been vilified for my stance to go

a race. I also cannot survive environments where I am

against the grain. Some within the media in particular

not able to speak my mind. My expression of self is true

have attempted to present me in a prism that only they

freedom and so I cannot work in spaces where I am expected

can understand but I will never change. Anyone can write

to grin and bear it. That would not be me and it would kill me.

Like literally I would die a silent death.

whatever fiction they want about me but I am going to

I was a junior manager at 26 years at Botswana

proud of the fact that I open doors to ALL. That is the

stay focused on that which is bigger and better. I am

Telecommunications Corporation and from that time I set my sights on ExCo level roles. I managed to get into an ExCo team at 28 at the Local Enterprise Authority and when Tebogo Matome hired a new ExCo team and relegated us to

greatest marker of my career. I actively fight against the notion that certain spaces are for certain people. I abhor that notion and am immediately dismissive of all things elitist.

middle management positions I left.

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- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW -

Matlhogonolo Mponang Those glass half empty type people are constant complainers and you have to be able to identify them and accept that nothing will ever be good enough because they will always be blinded by their own sense of entitlement.Those are the individuals who have done the same thing in the same role for years. They are disengaged by their own attitude and blame the world for their immobility. Then there are those who see the art of the possible in everything that has value- even before the value is evident. Those are the high flyers. The talent. The water walkers who do not wait for doors to be opened for them. They open those doors for themselves and they are eternally grateful for what they are given and create new opportunities within whatever reality. Those are individuals I support always because they create favor for themselves.

Business leaders and HR teams spend countless hours and a lot of money on employee engagement initiatives—even then, why are so many organizations ineffective at improving

What are some of the common mistakes that you see large organizations repeatedly make in understanding the new workplace dynamics?

The refusal to evolve because of leadership that does not

engagement levels?

The problem is that most organizations fail to realize that engagement is a conversation. It is about listening to understand- as we say at De Beers. People do not want much but to be listened to and heard. The actions that leaders take after hearing what is troubling employees define the culture of any organization. There is a need to also engage employees when there is nothing wrong. HR professionals need to envisage the future before it arrives and proactively put in place programs that address what is coming before it does.

Take flexible working- at De Beers we have been doing it for years.

embrace change. I do not understand how leaders are allowed to stay at the helm of organizations for longer than 8 years in one role. We all reach the parameters of our own understanding and kill organizations by refusing to create space and move on so others can come in. That being said I have worked with great leaders who have led organizations effectively in spite of having been there for more than 8 years- simply because they embrace change and are forever seeking fresh talent and allowing the talent to work.

Organizations are also killed by those people who refuse to accept new thinking and new ways of doing things. Those people who negate progress kill organizations. Those people

The current working from home arrangement because of Corvid 19 is giving us fresh lessons and is shaping our thinking as we imagine the evolving world of work. That being said most employees never really feel that they are adequately engaged- especially those employees who have never worked anywhere else except where they are working. People without comparators are often the most despondent. I can also tell you this for freesome employees are just intrinsically unhappy

who are incapable of learning and taking direction from others- even as they lead. Leaders should also be able to follow. Another killer of organizations is having too many people who overstay. After a while they become blockers to anything they do not know and will frustrate anyone trying to transform the workplace. Organizations that refuse to adapt die. Look at organizations that are non inclusive and have no diversity. They mutate to death and they start eating themselves like bacteria is the lotion they wear.

individuals who will fault find their way through any attempt to engage.

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- Â Â EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW -

Matlhogonolo Mponang What would your piece of advice be to HR leaders who want to build a strong business case for technology investments?

If there is a professional- in whatever specialty who needs a business case for technology infusion within any business they should be fired. I cannot relate to the question. I choose not to work in places where the leadership needs to be convinced of the self evident.

That being said- you have to demonstrate how the technology investment will create efficiencies and bring about profits. Business leaders want to spend money to make money- and nothing else. If it is technology infusion for the sake of it and it will not create efficiencies and lean and mean ways of doing things then it is not needed.

What would you like HR professionals to do better in terms of understanding the language of the business? How can they sharpen their business acumen to better align workforce strategies with business goals?

The problem is when specialists think of themselves within their specialty and not within the context of the business. When people ask me what I do I tell them I sell diamonds. There is no aspect of any business I have ever worked in that I do not understand.

To be effective as a specialist you have to work towards the attainment of the organizational goals. You should not view yourself as supporting the business. You are the business. Any business is about the bottom line. You have to look at opportunities for new revenue generating channels whilst lowering costs.

Any HR Professional who cannot read financials is not worth their grain in salt. Continuously seeking fresh talent and bringing it in whilst keeping the talent you already have is key to ensuring an active commercial environment which is robust. Critical thinking is key and ensuring that one is able to consume data in a manner that aids business decisions which delivers the end goal of the organization.

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MATLHOGONOLO MPONANG EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

WHAT TOP TRENDS ARE YOU TRACKING IN THE HR SPACE AS WE HEAD INTO 2021? ALSO, ARE THERE ANY THAT CONCERN YOU? I do not follow trends. I create them. Right now my thing is space creation. I want to be able to come into spaces where there is need for talent mobility and to see it happen. I am big on digital learning and development solutions which are self driven. I live in a world where I see something in my minds’ eye and work actively to see it happen. It is usually around the bettering of a life. Intentions bore me, they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I do not intend, I DO. I do not do well in dark spaces and so the conventional punitive and non trusting cynical view of people that some HR people who are stuck in the personnel days tires me. I have fired HR people who work against the agenda of uplifting others. And I remain unapologetic about it and would do it again.

I also believe that the creation of digital teams who work across global timelines in virtual global teams is the best way of responding to this very VUCA world we find ourselves in. Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous is VUCA- and it is not new thinking. Lastly I want to see the world morph towards the wisdom of the crowd. It is important to see ourselves in others and to have empathy for those we serve. At the core of what HR professionals do is service. Service to mankind is service to God. As Tasha Cobbs sings- My God has been faithful, and with every breath I will sing of his goodness.

Central to my ethos is a strong belief in the Almighty.

We all need to believe in something greater than ourselves. I am very confident in my own abilities because I work hard. I put in the time. I stay informed. I am hugely aware of the fact that all that is nothing without my belief in the Lord because my own life is a testament to the fact that God lives. I am nowhere lost to where I am going. I do not need to cower and to dim my light and lower my voice because I am unapologetically progressive and am about nothing but the elevation of others. That ethos has taken me somewhere- though nowhere near where I am going.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mrs Matlhogonolo Mponang joined De Beers on 1st March 2018 as Senior Human Resource Manager. She was then appointed to act in the position of Head of Human Resources on 8th May 2018. The Diamond Trading Head of Human Resource portfolio is a Midstream ExCo role. The De Beers Midstream comprises of the following companies that cut across different geographical locations: Namibia Diamond Trading Company, Diamond Trading Company Botswana, De Beers Global Sight holder Sales, De Beers Sight holder Sales South Africa, and De Beers Auction Sales- Singapore. Ms Mponang was substantively appointed to this role effective 1st September 2018.

Ms Mponang most previously served as Deputy Executive Director- Corporate Services at Botswana Accountancy College where her portfolio spanned Finance and Procurement, Human Resource Management, Integrated Facilities, Information Communication and Technology, Marketing and Communications, Student Affairs and Quality Assurance.

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Ms Mponang has a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and is a seasoned HR professional who has operated across multiple industries and at all levels in government, non- governmental organizations and now within the private sector. She writes and to that end has had a social commentary column in both “Lapologa” Magazine and “The Weekend Post” newspaper.

She is a Transformational Speaker and is also the founder of the Tshiamo Gotlhe Mogapi Foundation- a social development vehicle which works with children and youth throughout Botswana.

Ms Mponang has served on the Westwood International School Council as Deputy Chairperson and H.R Committee Chair; on the Water Utilities Pension Fund as Chairperson of the Fund. She has further served on the Botswana Medical Aid Fund Board, the World Young Womens/ Christian Association Council, the Okavango Diamond Company Board, the Pula Medical Board and has been the Chairperson of the Botswana Karate Foundation. She currently sits on the De Beers Holdings Botswana Board and on the Botswana Open University Council Human Resources Committee and also on the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) Human Resources Committee.

She is married with three children.

LEGAL DESIGN

REDESIGNING PUBLIC SAFETY USING DESIGN THINKING

By Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel

FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

2020 was already a crazy year before May 25th, but Memorial Day 2020 in the United States was marked first by the filming of a white woman threatening to call the police on a black man, and secondly and more tragically by the killing of George Floyd by white police officers. The weeks that have followed have been replete with protests and a demand for justice. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has given an ultimatum to the state’s police and local government to redesign the police service by April 1 2021 or else! According to Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel, Associate Director of Design Thinking for Social Impact at Tulane University, this opens an opportunity for using a participatory design thinking approach to facilitate the redesign.

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Design thinking is an empathy focused methodology.

Clearly the death of George Floyd, and other tragedies involving the police and citizens, particularly African American people, demonstrates a lack of empathy.

Using a design thinking approach, it could be possible to deeply understand the fears and concerns of both the community and the police officers, and to design empathetic solutions that would lead to their safety rather than detract from it.

There is a lack of trust between the police and citizens.

In the design thinking process, much time is spent on building trust and relationships before co-creating solutions. Therefore some of these approaches and techniques could be employed in building that muchneeded trust.

WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING? Design thinking is a method that is borrowed from the field of design. This uses the design process to rapidly develop innovative solutions, often to social problems.

Design thinking is also a method that focuses on empathy, collaboration and facilitation of conversations, as well as the development of creative solutions. Traditional design thinking is sometimes criticised for not challenging systemic inequity and reinforcing the status quo, however Dr. Noel is one of a new generation of design thinkers who focus on social justice issues and social innovation.

“A design thinking approach can be used in the challenge of reimagining policing for several reasons such as the focus on empathy, facilitation, collaboration and the optimism that a solution can be found”

WHAT CAN DESIGN THINKING DO? Dr. Noel has developed a modified critical approach to design thinking, where the entire process starts with reflection on one’s own identity and the identities of others and how these show up in both the design process and the proposed solutions. This approach helps people notice diversity, and to see it as a strength in the design process, while co-creating solutions that are relevant to diverse users. Using this approach she has collaborated with the Crescent City Corps to, through design thinking, co-create possible solutions to improving relations between the NOPD and residents of New Orleans. In that workshop both police and the citizens emphasized how they were able to understand each other better after spending the day co-creating solutions. This type of identity-based approach to design thinking is particularly important / significant to dispel the myth of the expert designer, especially where the design and the community they are collaborating with are from different racial or ethnic backgrounds.

About the Writer: Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel is an Associate Director for Design Thinking for Social Impact and Professor of Practice at Tulane University in the United States. And you can read more from Dr. Noel here.

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

IS BUY-FROM-MOTSWANA CHICKEN PROJECT A REALITY OR FANTASY?

By Mpho Shadrack Maruping

FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

On my daily exploratory sojourns, I visited poultry farms owned by foreigners or Batswana who are not indigenous. This legion of business people are mainly of Indian origin, known for being shrewd entrepreneurs, and have mutual connections based on institutional and societal norms. In local circles, they are celebrated for supporting one of their own, unlike other clans who abhor to witness a brother climbing a ladder of success.

Sometimes this group may be supported by International Islamic bank, which affords its faithful loans to start businesses with zero-interest.

Regrettably, our religion will instead steal from the ravaged, rather than helping followers pick pieces through economic upliftment.

I visited the outskirts of Mankgodi, where I managed to meet workers engaged in some of these big poultry farms. Most of these farms are owned by one person.

The owner Mr. Prakash (Not his real name), has a lifelong contract with Motswana Bride Chicken (MBC).

He is a reliable supplier of chicken for slaughter. He supplies a total of 15 000 chickens per week to MBC. Management of MBC have full confidence on Mr. Prakash’s commitment of supplying their business consistently, and has sustained the reputation of the company’s chicken enterprise, that has since been in retails across the country for quite some time.

Mr. Prakash owns ten (10) farms of poultry hen houses, each hen house containing a consignment of 15'000 brood of chickens for slaughter every week. Equally each week, he stocks a flock of chicken broilers of the same number. He employs a labour force with diverse skills, and the lowest paid worker earns P1'100. After quizzing some workers on working conditions and willingness to organize, they appear comfortable working for foreigners, unlike the locals. They cite job security and certainty of monthly payment, unlike a local whose business may be liquidated. Workers do not trust business run by locals as they cannot withstand social, political and economic pressures.

Like I have postulated before in my recent commentary, buy-from-Motswana campaign needs more than rhetoric, but a platform where we can always draw lessons and aspiration from. In the meantime, the big hen houses provide essential service, whereas a Motswana poorly structured house-hen business would struggle to acquire permit in the midst of COVID19 Greater Gaborone lockdown dictates.

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Valuable lessons could be drawn to strengthen our poultry projects and other businesses using the poultry model. It is imperative as locals to uphold to our traditions, norms and culture because they are good virtues for succeeding in business. Expressions such as “Letsema le thata ka mong,” “monna o ja mofufutso wa gagwe,” “se a re go tlogelwa tsatsing se ikise moriting.” These are traditional Tswana expressions that should not be shunned. We tend to appreciate foreign culture’s proverbs and think they outsmart ours.

A Chinese proverbs that gives motivation, which runs, “A journey of thousand miles starts with a step.”

“Workers are ferried by a company bus to and from work. They work on shift and when I told them about the viability of buy-from Motswana campaign they all shrug off my dream with sheer disbelieve.”

Photo Credit: Chris McCullough Collaboration is another area which we need to inculcate as locals to supplement one’s ideas. We tend to prioritize going solo in business endeavors. Looking at the Indian community, they operate business in families. They all play part in growing business, whereas the locals abhor family ties in business. We are fond of saying, “If you need to be successful in business don’t bring relatives into it.” Amazingly, the Indians have grannies, father, mother, sons, daughters, uncles, and cousins in business setup.

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Another opportunity is along the value chain, as locals fail to identify opportunities to start businesses.

Sometimes it is important to identify business opportunities in the value chain, such as slaughter houses, chicken feeds, chicken manures, chicken blood or feathers-products industry. We shouldn’t only concentrate on producing chickens for sale, hence the market flooded.

Another critical character that we need to quickly master as aspirant business local community is reliability and consistency. Buyers appreciate a reliable supplier or a trader. Whenever they approach or visit a business joint, there are confident not to be disappointed. However, when you disappoint or fails to supply once, inevitably your trust points go down the trust peg. Opportunities such as obtaining a tender or contract to supply should never be taken for granted. It is an opportunity to make your product world class, by taking a vow of never failing to deliver promises. Many customers dislike hopping from one store to another looking for item. They should be highly confident that by visiting your store, they will find what they are looking for. Reliability goes with consistency. A supplier or trade should always be upbeat, and take the challenge of swimming with sharks in business pond. A feeling of throwing in the towel should never come closer to your mind. The minute you quit is the moment you are nearing success.

In the midst of engaging in business it is important to treat those that assist grow your business with all the dignity, respect, care and love. Good managers know how to make their staff happy by declaring clear vision of the business. Most companies make huge loses in businesses through workers lifting items, stealing or poor clientele relations. So, if you show workers that they are part and parcel of the business equation, there is likelihood of them taking responsibilities and avoiding illicit acts such as stealing. Unhappy workforce also results in low productivity in the workplace, therefore compromising profit gains and customer attraction.

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Running a business is a complex task which needs regular up-skilling and retooling to match global changing challenges in business industry. We cannot afford business-as-usual behavior, where operating business is run like a hobby. Several local business operate without having workers files, cash tills, stocktaking, monitoring of sales, and other rudimentary business basics. Local enterprises are unlikely to withstand economic pressures because they have no contingency plans to circumvent eventualities.

Lastly, as Batswana we need to be mindful of population-rush business syndrome, whereby majority of people rush to do a single-type of business because of its quick generating business model. Batswana are disgracefully known to have rushed into engaging in such business en masse; Home tuck-shops, home gas delivery, poultry, mobile phone shops, Ponzi scheme.

Many of such businesses are left idling because there was never a serious thought before engaging in that kind of business. People appeared to be preoccupied with making money, thereby overlooking other pertinent prerequisites of successful businesses. Just because poultry business is deemed to be a quick way of making cash, equally it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

About the writer: Mpho Shadrack Maruping is a labour Activist and pundit. He has immense interest on issues of labour, development, economics, agrarian Reforms, land and business. He is a writer and contributed in Botswana Trade Union County Report of 2018 as an author and editor. He is also an Educator by profession. Maruping attends to annual labour summer schools with Global Labour University and represents local alum as the interim Chairperson. He has presented several scholarly papers at international colloquiums,.

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DIGITAL FINANCIAL LITERACY: THE NEW NORMAL

By Alicia Tshepiso Tlhatlhanyang

FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

In this trying time where the world is battling the pandemic which no one knows when it’s going to disappear, it is very important that you are equipped with the right mindset to manage your finances.: hacking, spyware, sim card swap and pharming just to mention a few.

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Digital financial risk control- DFS operators should know how to protect themselves from online scammers and fraudsters. People should be able to use computer programs and recognize how to protect their personal identification numbers and other private data when using services provided through the digital platform means.

Knowledge of consumer rights and redress procedures-incase users falls victim to the aforesaid dangers. They must understand their privileges and know where they can go and obtain compensation to fraud or any other loss. DFS users have to understand their rights regarding their private data and how to obtain redress against unauthorized users Digital Financial literacy is not a luxury it's a need.

Having the capability to manage your money better will help you to be on top of your game. Without digital literacy your financial decisions and actions that you take or don’t take-lack a solid foundation of success.

Catch more on digital financial literacy from the author on her upcoming live session here:

Why Digital Financial literacy Consumers need to have higher level of financial cleverness to make effective use of FinTech products and services to avoid fraud and costly mistakes. The following frameworks need close attention: Knowledge of digital financial products and tech literacy of The Academy improves the services- We are in the 4th revolutionary era so there is law students professionals who no need to fuss aboutand makinglegal transactions during lockdowns.

Consumers should be aware want to understand howof the complex existence of the non-traditional financial products and technologies function, systems of services provided though digital meanshow such as internet and mobile phones. technologies interconnect, and how systems Alicia Tshepiso Tlhatlhanyang is a Financial Analyst and Alertness of interact. digital financial literacy riskof systems a social entrepreneur with an intensive interest in both consumers and entrepreneurs need to realize the additional risk they are likely to incur when using the digital financial services, sometimes it's harder to spot on the threat using the DFS than the traditional financial products and services. There are multitude of online fraud and cyber security risks such as: hacking, spyware, sim card swap and pharming just to mention a few.

www.perekofoundation.org

FinTech and Legal technology. She is currently working part time as a technology researcher for our team and is passionate about creating financial access to marginalized Batswana through be-spoke programs and user-friendly technology.

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EVERY DESIGN IS A STORY

WHAT IS THIS PLAYBOOK

You cannot spend a year at the Stanford Design School and not be a fully fleshed design thinker. A Five-day design sprint will send you right into using words such as, “Ideate”, “Iterate”, “Investigate”… And ‘I’ tell you, the experience is life-changing!

‘This ‘PlayBook’ was influenced by the Stanford Design School concepts. As a problem-solving approach that has been tried and tested with socially ambiguous problem settings, it deals with everyday-life-problems, which are nonetheless difficult to solve — “wicked problems”, as Horst Rittel (1972) termed it.

The minute I walked into one of the d.Schools' design studios, the first thing I noticed was the open space, an indication of complete liberation. Two red couches that make a statement in the studios. The color that stimulates action and confidence and sets a bold, bright tone. Red is also directly related to energy. I felt my fire suddenly ignited for me to take action. A complete change of mindset. This is the feeling I get when I work within creative teams.

WHAT CAN DESIGN THINKING CREATE

If thinking like a designer means being curious, challenging assumptions, getting lost in dreams, getting into a question-framing mindset, and collaborating. So what does Design Thinking mean really? It’s simple creative steps that can be followed to solve problems.

This is a creative process that engages a person in opportunities to empathize and understand user needs, identify/re-define problems, brainstorm ideas, and finally test these ideas using prototypes to learn and iterate towards the best solution.

In every project that we engage in, there’s a need to find clarity in order to avoid unnecessary risks. Design thinking (a word that has been overused), all begins with empathy. A year ago when I curated my design thinking manifesto, I took the latter into consideration.

Immersing myself in the shoes of my users.

This ‘PlayBook’ is meant to give you insights into the important steps of design thinking and to support you in your journey as you learn how to facilitate design thinking with tested methods, toolkits, and ethos that FutureLab Initiative™ has adopted in their project design.

WHY YOU NEED TO EMBRACE THIS MINDSET It is not the ultimate-object manuscript for design thinking facilitation and it is not a cure-all for embracing ambiguity in your space. But we hope that it will help bring clarity to your expectations vs. reality.

Get all from this ‘PlayBook’ by subscribing for more content here: www.perekofoundation.org About the Author:

I bet when you hear the word ‘design’ you think about sketching, colors, shapes, and something tangible that you can touch. You are on the right track because with design thinking tools of design like post-its and whiteboards are used to make it simple and ubiquitous.

To differentiate ‘design’ from ‘design thinking’ we need to understand that the talent that design thinking is trying to harness is not rooted in either natural gifts or studio training- it lies in the creative process of problem-solving. What would be different if you thought like a designer? In the design thinking ‘PlayBook’, I recently designed, we have five steps for you- empathize, ideate, prototype, test, and share.

Rethabile is a Labour Law Consultant, Founder of Konopo & Partner Labour Law consultancy in Botswana and a Legal & Systems Designer at Pereko Foundation. She has over ten years of experience in both nonprofit and private sectors with a strong background in business and law to lead research in legal and systems design projects for access to justice. Rethabile spent a year at Stanford University, Hasso Plattner School of Design (d.School), as the John. S. Knight Fellowships Affiliate where she developed an immense interest in the human-centered process of creative problem-solving, spending time at the Legal Design Lab and the K12 Lab. She then participated as a fellow for d.School Designing for Social Systems, joining high impact social sector leaders across the world.

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LIFESTYLE FUTURELAB MAGAZINE™

A SPECIAL EDITION AN INSIGHT INTO FOOD SYTEMS OF THE FUTURE

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Words by KENNETH MIDDLETON Photos Prepared by KENNETH MIDDLETON

The Future of Food in Botswana is in Processing.

However, there is a silver lining to this predicament as there is a shift in gear and focus towards in-country food processing. Whilst South African brands currently enjoy almost all of the processed food markets in it’s neighboring countries.The current COVID-19 pandemic has

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent national

brought light to the dangers of over reliance.

lockdowns are stirring serious havoc for economies worldwide. By disrupting international and regional supply chains; and threatening food security for countries that have been over reliant on other countries for such supplies. Botswana as a landlocked semi-arid country is an example of this for its major reliance on food supplies from neighboring South Africa. In the past few months Batswana have been rudely awakened to the pitfalls and disadvantages of this very situation.

There is a recognizable push by people in these countries to create locally processed foods. Given that competing on price with the mighty South African brands in the processed food market will be difficult. Batswana for example are becoming more conscious of the fact that they need to support local products. This is evidenced by the birth of several campaigns to encourage Batswana to buy locally produced products.

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We have seen the rise of hashtags such as #PushaBW and also the creation of Facebook groups dedicated towards the promotion of locally produced products. It is becoming clearer that individuals in or looking to go into food processing must be supported in our efforts to increase food security. Food processing in it’s simplest definition is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industrial methods used to make convenience foods.

There are three main categories of food processing: Primary food processing; Secondary food processing; and Tertiary food processing.

Primary food processing is necessary to make most foods edible, and Secondary food processing turns the ingredients into familiar foods, such as bread. Tertiary food processing has been criticized for promoting over-nutrition and obesity, containing too much sugar and salt, too little fibre, and otherwise being unhealthy.

However many people are willing to trade off on this for the longevity of preserved foods. There are also ways to make healthy Tertiary processed food items.

The focus of this article will be in exploring Secondary food processing as being a big opportunity for Botswana. There are plenty of locally available foods which could be used to create unique products from. The process of coming up with an idea for food processing would begin with a raw food Item and then imagining what different food items could be made from said raw food. Either as an ingredient, as a preservation or turned into another form. For me it very exciting to think of the products that could be made from just locally available food items such as Moretlwa (Bush Berries), Mowana (Baobab Fruit), Morojwa, Motsentsela, Moreteloga, Ditloo, Mopane etc.

Mowana or Baobab Fruit is widely known to be very healthy and is also considered a superfood. It is for example, rich in fibre and many important minerals and vitamins such as vitamin C and B6, Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Magnesium and Potassium.

It also has anti-oxidant properties.

So by exploring the value chain of such a wonderful locally available superfood one can only imagine the food products could be made.

Baobab Ice Cream? Baobab Infused sauces or jams? Baobab with Chocolate? Or infused into a drink somehow?

Another Example is the Mopane Worms which are nutritionally high in protein and very low in fat content. What processes can be applied to Mopane Worms to create commercially viable products? Crushed and powdered for Mopane Worm Flour? Protein Bars? Added to sorghum or other porridge powders for increased protein content?

Some Batswana have already noticed this gap in the market have moved to fill it. Examples include Maungo Craft who make preserves in the form of jams, marmalades and sauces most of which are infused with the locally inspired flavor of Morula fruit. Another example is Senn Foods with their corned beef range. More examples include, Just Ginger with their ginger drinks; Setso Foods with their canned Serobe (Tripe); and Native Foods with their Lerotse (Sour Melon) Preserves and Mosukujane (Mint) Ice Tea, to mention but a few.

Even with these local companies doing a very good job in the processed food market. There are still many more opportunities in this sector and Batswana are coming for their share of the local processed food market. I for one can’t wait to see all the wonderful processed food ideas Batswana will bring to fruition. I will only hope that they spare no expense on research and development whilst also creating high quality, commercially viable products for us to enjoy.

There is joy is food security and we can all be a part of it, from the heap of compost that you can share with your neighbour to grow some vegetables or you use to grow legume seeds which you supply to a small number of your relatives over the holidays or the awesome cuisine of Mongongo oil roasted meat mixed with Motsaudi Nuts served with Lebelebele. But all the joy can only come if we move swiftly towards self-reliance in secondary food processing.

About the writer: Kenneth Middleton is the Founder of Yommy and Chief Administrator of Foodies Botswana Facebook group

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VOLUME 02

FUTURELAB MAGAZINE

Social eating in the digital age / BY SAMANTHA PILANE PHOTOS BY ANTONANT SAMUEL

Be it events, parties, or small get-togethers, food has always been an important part of our lives.

social eating in the digital age has largely been influenced by social media applications such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram etc. especially with influencer marketing and the constant need to have trending content. Folks nowadays go to hip places that not only provide scrumptious food but Instagram worthy aesthetics (perfect lighting, décor, music) as well. This goes to show that it is not only about the food itself but the vibes the eateries have and to a into a certain extent who frequents the popular places. Social settings or setups such as food and music festivals and picnics also bring people together to share great food in a relaxed atmosphere with music on the background. The food is not always sophisticated but serves its intended purpose.

With people now drawn to hype/what is cool and what is not, social eating will be a trend that can be expected to grow exponentially with more and more people preferring to eat what they are not ordinarily used to and going far and wide in search for the next best trend.

Social media use web-based and mobile technologies on smartphones and tablet computers to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals, communities and organizations can share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content or pre-made content posted online. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between businesses, organizations, communities and individuals.Social media changes the way individuals and large organizations communicate.

Social media differ from paper-based or traditional electronic media such as TV broadcasting in many ways, including quality, reach, frequency, usability, immediacy, and permanence. Social media operate in a dialogic transmission system (many sources to many receivers). This is in contrast to traditional media which operates under a monologic transmission model (one source to many receivers), such as a paper newspaper which is delivered to many subscribers. Some of the most popular social media websites are Facebook (and it's associated Facebook Messenger), WhatsApp, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Baidu Tieba, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Gab, Google+, YouTube, Viber, Snapchat, Weibo and WeChat.

These social media websites have more than 100,000,000 registered users.Observers have noted a range of positive and negative impacts from social media use. Social media can help to improve individuals' sense of connectedness with real and/or online communities and social media can be an effective communications (or marketing) tool for corporations, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, including advocacy groups and political parties and governments. At the same time, concerns have been raised about possible links between heavy social media use and depression, and even the issues of cyberbullying, online harassment and "trolling". Currently, about half of young adults have been cyber-bullied and of those, 20 percent said that they have been cyberbullied on a regular basis.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MAGAZINE LAUNCH PHOTOS BY ANTONANT SAMUEL

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