'The future is coming fast — Will you be ready?'

SIPHIWE MABUSELA | Wednesday May 7, 2025 14:22

He asked, “What if this happens faster than we expect?” That question stuck in my mind.

Because the truth is — it is already happening. Slowly, quietly, but surely. We are seeing machines take on tasks once done only by people. Customer service bots, warehouse robots, AI designers, autonomous vehicles (and so on). This is not science fiction. This is today. And it is moving fast.

That is why I have partnered with Mmegi, one of Botswana’s most trusted voices, to launch the AI Digital Shift Conference happening on May 14, 2025, in Gaborone. This is more than just an event — it is a national moment to pause, reflect, and prepare for what lies ahead.

We are not hosting this conference to celebrate technology alone. We are hosting it because we believe in people.

AI is powerful. But it must be used responsibly. It must be inclusive. It must not leave people behind.

My own journey — through startups like NzuluAI, Minesafe360, Tenantrix, and the Robotics and Coding Academy — has shown me the deep potential of AI. But it has also shown me the risks. The risk of job loss. The risk of inequality. The risk of letting innovation outpace human development.

Botswana cannot afford to sleep on this shift. Africa cannot wait to be taught. We must build our own AI narrative — one that protects, empowers, and includes.

That is why we are creating a movement, not just a conference. A movement to train, teach, and equip every Motswana — from policymakers to students, from tech-builders to business owners — with the tools to thrive in an AI-powered future.

And let us be honest: AI is not just about coding. It is about ethics. Jobs. Education. Farming. Healthcare. Governance. If we do not take action now, we risk being a continent that consumes AI instead of creating it.

The AI Digital Shift is our answer to that. It is our invitation to business leaders, educators, governments, creatives, and dreamers to come together. To learn. To collaborate. To lead.

Botswana can be an AI hub for Africa. But we must choose to show up.

Tickets now available via Tickety.co.bw and Webtickets.co.bw Aquarian Tide Hotel, Sebele Mall Block 10, Gaborone | May 14, 2025 www.aidigitalshift.co.bw

Let us move from conversation to transformation. Let us shift — together.