President Advocate Duma Boko launched the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) labs on August 11, describing them as the “engine rooms” for the nation’s journey toward high-income status. Speaking at the launch in Gaborone, Boko said the labs will refine project concepts, develop roadmaps, set performance indicators, and remove barriers to progress over the next four weeks.
The BETP labs, comprising six economic and three social labs, will focus on seven key sectors identified by the Cabinet for their comparative advantage: agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, financial services and digitalization, tourism, energy, water, and mining. Boko emphasized that agriculture’s GDP contribution will rise from 2% to 6% to achieve food security and foster agro-industrial growth. Infrastructure development aims to position Botswana as a logistics hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), while manufacturing will drive job creation and regional exports.
“These sectors are strategic and deliberate, envisioning a digitally enabled, export-driven, and economically diversified Botswana where every citizen enjoys equal opportunity,” Boko stated.
Vice President and Minister of Finance Ndaba Gaolathe highlighted that the labs will guide the BETP, which has received 3,500 project submissions from citizens, entrepreneurs, and private entities. A technical team is already refining 200 high-impact projects for implementation, some requiring no government funding. “This is a defining chapter in Botswana’s history,” Gaolathe said, noting the labs’ role in shaping the 12th National Development Plan (NDP 12).
PEMANDU Associates’ joint managing director, Aida Azmi, outlined the labs’ scope, drawing on their Big, Fast Results methodology used in Malaysia, Senegal, and Rwanda. Tailored to Botswana’s unique needs, the approach will align with global best practices to ensure rapid, inclusive growth.
