Mentorship as economic infrastructure
Lucy Kgweetsi | Wednesday October 8, 2025 06:44
Corporate and civil-society leaders stressed that Botswana’s workforce is constrained not by educational attainment but by limited access to guided professional development. Whilst tertiary enrolment exceeds 60%, youth unemployment remains high at 25.7%, reflecting a disconnect between academic qualifications and market readiness. Participants argued that mentorship, if institutionalised, could address this gap by providing clarity, skill reinforcement, and confidence-building amongst emerging professionals and entrepreneurs. Mascom’s Corporate Communications Manager Anno Tshipa framed the discussion around accountability, stating: “We have a pivotal role to play in scaling mentorship beyond mere sponsorship.” Her remarks highlighted the need for mentorship programs to be structured, measured, and linked to outcomes rather than being informal or episodic. Boipelo Matenge, Public Affairs Executive at Mascom, noted: “As Batswana, do we truly support each other or quietly pull each other down?” This perspective emphasised the cultural shift required to normalise professional guidance and mutual support across sectors. Panels featuring Moitshepi Matsheng, Sandy O’Reilly, and Sokuhle Mafika explored operational challenges, including the lack of standardised frameworks for mentorship. Mafika argued: “Mentorship is more than advice. It’s accountability. It’s a structure of measurement and feedback.”
Panellists identified that mentorship in Botswana is largely concentrated in urban centres, leaving youth and entrepreneurs in rural areas with limited access. Proposed interventions included regional mentorship hubs and digital platforms to link mentors with mentees across districts. The summit also examined the role of corporations and professional bodies. Participants recommended embedding mentorship in organisational governance, aligning programs with career progression, succession planning, and performance metrics. Tax incentives and accreditation frameworks were suggested to encourage private-sector participation while ensuring quality standards. Comparisons with mentorship programs in Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa were made, showing measurable improvements in entrepreneurship outcomes and workforce preparedness where structured mentorship is implemented. A key consensus was that mentorship should be considered a national infrastructure rather than a voluntary activity. Structured mentorship can enhance labour efficiency, foster innovation, and improve graduate employability.
To achieve this, policymakers were urged to collaborate with private-sector actors, professional associations, and educational institutions to create measurable, accountable, and scalable mentorship frameworks. The summit concluded that Botswana faces a critical opportunity to formalise mentorship systems that can systematically transfer knowledge, build confidence, and cultivate leadership. Without such institutionalisation, the country risks underutilising its human capital, perpetuating unemployment, and limiting the potential of its emerging workforce.