The foundation was started two years ago by South African private investment firm, Allan Gray, which has a branch in Botswana. The head of Allan Gray Botswana, Tapologo Motshudi said the scholarships are targeting entrepreneurship as a way of helping to diversify the economy. He said they want to focus on equipping talented young individuals with the skills, attitudes and motivation to become successful, high-growth entrepreneurs. He explained that they are not prescribing for students what they should study.
However, they expect that after the students' completion of their study, they would set-up businesses to help in diversifying the economy. "We are not training them to work for us after they have completed their studies, but to set up business and create employment for themselves and other citizens," Motshudi said. He added that capital would be available to help the students to start their own businesses. He said they would require the students to work for some years before they can apply for the start-up capital. "They should have professional experience first for them to secure the capital.
