Africa-Press – Botswana. Minister of Finance Ms Peggy Serame says the recorded 33.5 per cent of youth unemployment by Statistics Botswana is a worrisome trend that challenges graduates to look beyond the country’s borders for employment opportunities.
Ms Serame said the percentage recorded through the 2022 Quarter 4 Multi-Topic Survey was the highest despite the 25.4 per cent overall unemployment rate, which indicated a slight decline from the preceding year.
The minister was speaking at the opening of the one day Job Fair hosted by her ministry in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Gaborone, Wednesday.
Further outlining the unemployment percentages in the country, Ms Serame said in 2015, joblessness rate stood at 17.5 per cent of the labour force, increased to 22.2 per cent in 2019 and further to 26.0 per cent in 2021.
She reaffirmed that government would actively facilitate Batswana to explore opportunities outside Botswana. However, she said, individuals must also take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
Ms Serame, who serves on the board of governors of the bank as a governor representing Botswana, said government would continue to strengthen partnership with the bank which dated from 1972.
She highlighted that the bank had supported a number of projects ranging from energy, transport, water, sanitation and agriculture.
“This includes mega projects such as the Trans Kalahari Highway, Morupule B Power Station Transmission Network, Pandamatenga Agricultural Infrastructure Development,” she said.
Ms Serame explained that the job fair followed her engagement with Ms Yacine Fal, vice president of Regional Operations of the Bank during the 2022 African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Accra, Ghana.
She said the job fair would also give Batswana the opportunity to learn about the Bank and other institutions.
“For tertiary and research institutions here present, this is an opportunity for you to engage with the bank on how you can best deliver programmes that meet the bank’s expectations, Ms Serame told participants.
She urged Batswana to learn from the testimonials of Ms Mosetsana Mabe-Koofhethile and Ms Laone Kesupile who were part of the 11 Batswana working for the bank.
“Let us learn from the testimonials that they will share with and appreciate how they made it in terms of exporting their skills beyond our borders,” she said.
Ms Serame also said the job fair came at the right time and resonated well with the country’s national priority of advancing human capital development as espoused in the country’s Vision 2036 Pillar 1 of Sustainable Economic Development.
Deputy Director General, Southern African Region and Country Manager for Botswana, African Development Bank Dr Kennedy Mbekeani said AFDB was the hub of collections of various professionals in the continent including civil and power engineers, and economists.
He noted that since its establishment in 1964, the bank’s mandate had been to promote economic development in the continent and to reduce poverty.
He said meeting with Batswana was to expose and encourage them to join the AfDB and be part of the African agenda to reduce inequalities and promote employment and economic development.
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