Ntesang becomes first Motswana cricket CEO
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday December 8, 2025 06:00
The jovial Ntesang also worked for the then Botswana National Sport Council (BNSC) for 13 years, holding different portfolios, such as coordinator for Re Ba Bona Ha and Women and Sport Botswana (WASBO).
She brings with her more than 24 years of sport management experience.
She also acted as the Games Manager, secretary for the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Games Standing Committee which was responsible for preparing for competitions such as the All Africa Games and Botswana Games.
Ntesang also volunteered at the Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) as chairperson for the women’s commission and as an instructor for the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Advanced Sport Management Course (ASMC) since 2023.
She has served as Chef de Mission for Botswana teams at multiple international competitions.
“Ten years ago, BCA advertised for this post, and I applied but I was not hired. I guess I was still under construction professionally. But now I have been given a shot, I have signed a five-year contract.
“I am the first Motswana to hold this portfolio, it has nothing to do with me being a woman, it has everything to do with my credentials,” Ntesang said in an interview.
She told MmegiSport that the previous CEOs had a strategy running from 2022 to 2026.
Ntesang's predecessor is Fazal Sherif. She said her first assignment is to review the strategy, check where they have succeeded on the target set, where they are lacking and also align with the current times.
“I have a staff complement of 35 people, both full-time and part-time, most of them are technical personnel around the country where we have centres in Lobatse, Metsimotlhabe, Molepolole, Selebi-Phikwe, Francistown and Gaborone. The hubs are operated by full-time cricket development officers, and we also have turf curators who take care of our fields.
“We have trained some on how to take care of cricket turf, both natural and artificial turf,” she added.
Ntesang said her focus will be on grassroots development and her belief is player first.
According to her if a player is developed, there is all that surrounds that person because there is a need for trained coaches, which is still a challenge in Botswana.
“We do not have the level of coaching that we need in Botswana. Currently, we have expatriates and one Motswana who are development coaches. We are working on a succession plan that will take cricket back to its wonder years when it was played across the country in public schools,” Ntesang said.
“It is from that mass participation that will trigger movement upwards and have professional players because cricket is one of the highest paying sports when played at an elite level.”
She said grassroots development also includes the development of umpires, scorers and administrators. Ntesang said she wants to see players having a clear career path, even outside cricket.
She said they have 13 contracted players, seven women and six men who are paid a monthly allowance so that they focus on playing cricket. The ultimate target is to have 11 men and 11 women.
“When you get your grassroots developments right, your international rankings will automatically improve for both men and women. I will also focus on satisfying the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ‘bible’ in order for them to increase our grant. I will also focus on cricket awareness, people should be aware that cricket is not for a certain class of the community,” she said.
Ntesang, a graduate from the University of Canberra, Australia with a Bachelor’s in Sport Management and currently completing a Master’s in Olympic Studies, said the absence of school sport in government schools has affected cricket development.