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Botswana’s Vice-President, Ndaba Gaolathe, has made an emphatic call for bold private sector leadership and pan-African unity, declaring that the time has come for Africa to drive its own transformation.
Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Unlocked Conference in Cape Town on Thursday, Gaolathe challenged African leaders and investors to stop referring to the continent as one with “potential” and instead reframe it as a global platform for performance, innovation, and growth.
“Let us stop speaking of Africa as a continent with potential. That language is outdated,” Gaolathe said.
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“Let this be the decade Africa stopped asking for permission and started writing its own script,” he said.
With Africa’s population expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050—and 60 percent of that population under the age of 25—Gaolathe underscored the urgency of creating at least 450 million jobs by mid-century, driven by private enterprise and community-based innovation.
“That level of transformation cannot be achieved by government alone. It must be driven by the ingenuity of African businesses and entrepreneurs,” he said.
Referencing research by the Boston Consulting Group, Gaolathe noted that private equity volumes in Africa grew by over 116 percent from 2016 to 2023, yet the continent still attracted less than 1 percent of global private capital.
“This is not a lack of opportunity—it is a failure of imagination,” he said, urging greater investment in innovation across energy, agriculture, technology, and manufacturing.
The Vice-President emphasized Africa’s identity as an ancient civilization—“not a problem to be solved”—and called on Africans to draw from their history to shape a future of sovereignty and prosperity.
“Long before colonial borders divided us, we built cities, governed empires, traded across oceans, and met the stars. We are not inventing an African economy—we are restoring one,” he said.
Gaolathe also announced the launch of Botswana’s Intensive Industrial Acceleration Programme, which commenced on July 1, 2025, to fast-track investments in key sectors.
“We have mobilized a whole-of-government task force to process investment proposals with speed and precision. Botswana is ready to partner with global investors—whether multinationals or startups,” he said.
He outlined four core attributes Botswana sought in its investment partners: long-term commitment, knowledge-sharing, capital depth, and alignment with African values and identity.
“We are looking for investors who want to be associated not just with our resources, but with our golden sunrises, our savannahs, our heritage, and our humanity,” he said.
Addressing Africa’s energy crisis—where 600 million people remain without electricity—Gaolathe described the situation as both an infrastructure failure and a moral emergency.
“Energy access is about hospitals functioning, children learning, and factories producing,” he stressed.
He further urged the rapid implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and investment in digital infrastructure to enable seamless cross-border trade, customs harmonization, and payment systems.
“Only 16 percent of African trade is intra-African. This must change. We need to build corridors, platforms, and bridges that connect African businesses,” he said.
Concluding with a rallying call for visionary leadership, Gaolathe implored Africa’s youth and decision-makers to embrace discipline, integrity, and unity.
“Africa is not small. It is the world’s next global engine. The private sector must rise—not cautiously, but boldly. The time to invest in Africa is now,” he declared.
The conference session—”Resetting the Narrative: Advancing Africa’s Economic Sovereignty and Unlocking SME Growth”—featured Standard Bank Group Chief Executive Officer Sim Tshabalala, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Dr Agnes Kalibata, Safika Holdings Chairman, Saki Macozoma, and Pan-African Payment and Settlement System Deputy CEO, John Bosco Sebabi.
Panel discussions also tackled the impact of global trade wars on Africa and strategies to drive growth through improved infrastructure, energy, logistics, and capital flows.
The Africa Unlocked Conference, themed “Business Shaping Africa’s Tomorrow,” continues through Friday in Cape Town, bringing together African leaders, entrepreneurs, and global investors.
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