Africa-Press – Botswana. Facilities Management sector is a key player in national sustainability strategies.
This was said by Dikago Facilities Solutions operations manager, Ms Kesegofetse Mganga in an interview during World Facilities Management day in Gaborone yesterday. She said Facilities Management had a role in the country’s economic growth as it did not only create jobs, but also extended the life of buildings and assets as well as reduced costs through smarter maintenance and sustainability practices.
“In Botswana, the sector is steadily growing as more organisations prioritise green practices and operational efficiency, supporting key sectors like healthcare, education, and finance by making sure they function smoothly,” she said.
Facilities Management involves keeping buildings, spaces and infrastructure running efficiently. It is the behind-the-scenes work that makes workplaces, hospitals, schools, and even stadiums safe, clean and energy-efficient functional; and blending people, process, place, and technology to improve the quality of life of occupants and boost productivity.
Ms Mganga further said the World Facilities Management Day sought to increase youth involvement in sustainability careers as the industry shift to standardise facility management practices by boosting local innovations, citing smart water and IoT systems. She said the events such as the World Facilities Management Day helped drive discussions for stakeholder collaboration; government, private and academia to create policies that supported facilities management
In Botswana, she said the day had grown into a strong local movement pushing for green, inclusive, and tech-driven facility management adding that they celebrated the day annually to shine light on how facility management drives sustainability and innovation.
Celebrated under the theme: Resilience in Action: Thriving in a World of Change, World Facilities Management day Botswana coordinator, Mr Michael Mafa said the theme captured their resilient journey in Botswana, particularly as they had hosted the event without sponsors.
“Yet through passion, perseverance, and a firm belief in our purpose, we have not only survived, but we have thrived, adapted, grown stronger, and continued to deliver a platform that drives awareness, inspires action, and champions Facilities Management’s role in building a sustainable and modern Botswana,” he said.
Mr Mafa said to elevate the event and strengthen the industry; they needed partners from both government and private sector to transform the sector from a background function to a key driver of Botswana’s economy and national development.
The day, he said raised awareness on Facilties Management as a critical profession and inspired the youth to pursue careers from it. He also said the platform sparked conversations around innovation, sustainability, modernisation and positioned the industry as a key pillar supporting Botswana’s development goals.
“And because of this platform, we have seen real impact; service providers who began exhibiting here have secured major contracts, young professionals have found mentorships, jobs, and clearer career paths,” said Mr Mafa, adding that organisations that first discovered Facilities Management at this event had gone on to establish their own departments.
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