VP Gaolathe Engages Marulamantsi Community on Transformation and Business Opportunities

VP Gaolathe Engages Marulamantsi Community on Transformation and Business Opportunities. Botswana’s Vice President and Minister of Finance, Mr Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe, has reinforced government’s commitment to economic transformation while addressing residents of Marulamantsi Ward at the Gaborone West Customary Court.

Community members raised pressing concerns over local infrastructure, citing the deteriorated Kgotla shelter, inadequate street lighting linked to crime, and the poor state of facilities at Marulamantsi Junior Secondary School. Calls were also made for a satellite police post, improved housing at BHC flats, and action against noise pollution from nearby establishments.

In response, Mr Gaolathe outlined the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), a blueprint aimed at driving long-term development. He highlighted fiscal discipline, infrastructure renewal, and diversification into key sectors such as energy, agriculture, financial services, tourism, and mineral beneficiation.

For Botswana’s entrepreneurs and business leaders, Gaolathe’s message offered insights into growth areas with strong investment potential. Energy diversification opens pathways for renewable energy enterprises, while mineral beneficiation presents opportunities for value-adding industries that could create jobs and export revenue. Similarly, agriculture and tourism were reaffirmed as sectors where private enterprise can play a leading role.

The Vice President further stressed the need to invest in skills development, particularly through TVET programmes and emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and STEAM education. By equipping young people with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, he noted, Botswana can prepare a workforce capable of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.

While assuring residents that government is addressing infrastructure challenges, Gaolathe urged communities to also take initiative in finding solutions. His engagement underscores the link between grassroots development and national transformation, where empowered citizens and entrepreneurs work in tandem to shape Botswana’s future.