Youth demand greater action on unemployment
Opelo Rakereng | Tuesday February 3, 2026 10:39
Gaolathe and his technocrats earlier this week wrapped the last of three budget pitsos held as part of the annual consultative meetings ahead of the budget next month.
Engaging with the younger generation at the Youth Pitso in Gaborone, the Finance ministry officials found themselves under fire from frustrated citizens who demanded that greater action is required for economic empowerment, beyond the rhetoric.
Several graduates who spoke at the meeting said it was unfair for them to compete in a job market that demands years of experience they simply do not have.
“Botswana does not have a youth entrepreneurship problem; it has an institutional failure problem,” declared Ako Motsewabagale, capturing the frustration echoing through the room.
The youths raised broader concerns about systemic barriers fuelling joblessness, as official figures estimate youth unemployment at more than 38%.
“The youth are given grants, but they don’t know how to manage this, and the businesses do not survive and collapse along the way,” another delegate said. “At least there should be campaigns or workshops on how to manage these businesses so that the businesses can survive.”
University of Botswana student, Katsano Ntebang, said with Botswana’s capital-intensive growth model reliant on diamonds and the public sector, the government needed to explain how it would move beyond skills development and entrepreneurship rhetoric to implement a concrete, large-scale labour market.
Ntebang hailed the Budget Strategy Paper’s goals to shift youth employment from heavy reliance on government and the public sector toward a private sector-led economy, but also expressed scepticism.
“I am troubled by the assumption that private sector growth will directly translate to solving unemployment,” Ntebang added. “Our private sector is weak, risk-averse, and dominated by capital-intensive industries like diamonds, not labour-intensive ones that could absorb thousands of young workers.”
Another delegate, Angela Mabena, offered a creative solution, saying government could look at establishing a School of Arts to evolve young talent in music, film, fashion, and visual arts into viable careers.
Other delegates called on government to redouble its engagement with the social media giants, in order to bring monetisation of these platforms to Botswana.
In response, Gaolathe acknowledged the need for change.
“Botswana must transform its ecosystem, and we’re already working on it,” he said, urging youth to join the effort.
He criticised one-size-fits-all approaches and the country’s mounting debt, calling for tailored programmes in technology and the creative sectors.
Gaolathe stressed that Botswana’s current ecosystem fails to adequately build youth businesses, necessitating a rapid rebuild to foster real opportunities.
The minister is due to present the budget early next month.