Kontle opens smart meter manufacturing plant
Pauline Dikuelo | Wednesday February 18, 2026 11:26
Hope Kontle, who has over 20 years of experience in the smart metering industry, has been operating in South Africa and Zimbabwe, supplying advanced metering solutions for various markets. The businessman explained that his decision to establish a factory locally was inspired by a long held vision to invest back home and create employment opportunities for Batswana. “I have been in this business for over two decades and have decided it’s time I expand my operations back home to create employment,” he said at the launch of his factory on Thursday. According to Kontle, his company has been producing high technology smart meters for regional markets, including South Africa and Zimbabwe. His product has also received industry recognition, winning Best Meter at the Eskom Pool in South Africa, a testament to its quality and innovation. The newly opened Tlokweng facility will manufacture smart meters locally, with a focus on employing young people along the assembly line. Kontle emphasised that Botswana has the skills and capability required to build a sustainable manufacturing sector.
“As Batswana, we have the capability to manufacture and create employment,” he said, adding that he has already recruited local youths who will be part of the production process. The introduction of smart meters is also expected to improve billing accuracy, reducing reliance on estimated charges and enhancing efficiency in electricity management. Assistant Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Baratiwa Mathoothe, commended Kontle’s initiative, describing it as aligned with government’s economic transformation agenda under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme(BETP). “We are charting a new path as a country, where we rely more on the private sector to drive economic growth. It is projects like these that give us hope, and we look forward to seeing them make a meaningful impact in the lives of Batswana,” he said. Mathoothe challenged the long-standing misconception that Batswana lack entrepreneurial drive. “There is a narrative that Batswana are not capable when it comes to manufacturing, but that is not the case. Batswana continue to prove that narrative wrong. It is impressive to see a Motswana taking such bold steps,” he said, adding that young people today are more educated and capable than ever before.
He further stressed the importance of supporting local manufacturing, noting that government should prioritise goods that can be produced domestically. “Things that we can do locally, we should do locally and government must support that. When we procure from outside, we create jobs outside. But when we manufacture here, we create employment for our own people.” Mathoothe also referenced Botswana’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying the agreement creates an opportunity for local manufacturers like Kontle to access and benefit from broader African markets.