The session, held for Absa’s business banking clients, unpacked the opportunities offered through the programme; a 10-month hybrid leadership and strategy course designed for founders and CEOs of established companies across sub-Saharan Africa. Officials from partner companies emphasised during the session that the programme equips entrepreneurs with strategic tools to strengthen management teams, refine growth strategies and position their companies to compete regionally and globally. Since becoming accessible to Botswana-based entrepreneurs in 2018, 69 Batswana have participated in the programme, a figure partners say they hope to significantly increase through awareness efforts and financial support mechanisms.
Head of Ecosystem Banking at Absa Bank Botswana, Harold Matenge, said their involvement reflects a broader commitment to helping entrepreneurs expand beyond local markets. “We believe that it is time for our entrepreneurs to be supported, to be able to scale up and to compete on a global scale, hence why we are so keen to partner with Stanford Seed,” he said. Matenge noted that while funding is important, access to networks and global knowledge platforms is equally critical for business growth. “Most of the time it will not necessarily be easy for just one SME to go out of their own way to find access to a network like Stanford,” he said. Matenge added that programmes such as Stanford Seed help entrepreneurs expand their ambitions beyond the limitations of domestic markets. “We do not take pride in having our SME clients only being restricted to the jurisdiction that is Botswana or to small growth targets they may have initially set for themselves. Programmes like Stanford Seed expose them to wider parameters and wider experiences,” he explained. Speaking at the session, Vice President of Social Impact and Sustainability at De Beers Group, Otsile Mabeo said entrepreneurship development is central to the company’s strategy for strengthening communities in the regions where it operates. “We’ve identified entrepreneurship development as a key tool for us to develop sustainable livelihoods,” Mabeo said.
