Africa-Press – Botswana. There is need to elevate the role of employees and shape the future of Africa through redefining the future workplaces by putting employees first, Employee Africa chief executive officer, Mr Mompoloki Makwana, has said.
Delivering a keynote address during the Employee Africa Summit 2023 in Gaborone Saturday, Mr Makwana said the African workforce was the one powering and shaping the African future, hence the need for employers to prioritise employees’ mental health, wellbeing, and compensation.
Therefore, he said the summit was meant to transform the African workforce and business leaders, as well as to empower policy makers with research based content and findings.
“At the heart of every institution or organisation is the people and if we take care of the people they will be able to take care of our institutions. As the key derivers of our economy, today, employees make a difference every single day and, therefore, it is our responsibility, to change and improve our African workforce,” he said.
Further Mr Makawa said ‘things are changing every day, in terms of how we do things, and nothing can change unless we change, because it is only when you change that you are sure that things around you will change. And our President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi is calling for mindset change.”
He cautioned that 90 per cent of the jobs in the market today might not be relevant in the year 2025, stressing that it was everyone’s responsibility to find best ways to transform themselves and align with the evolving job market.
The world economy, he said also showed that 97 million new roles would be created, adding that only those who were developing themselves, today, could be aligned for the future jobs, as well as those who possessed relevant qualifications, skills and experience.
“We stand at the crossroads, as Africa and the rest of the world are rapidly transforming a world of employees where technology, innovation, and global connectivity are redefining the very nature of work.
And, as we navigate this dynamic landscape, it is our employees, who are the heart and the soul of every organisation, who will determine our success and drive our collective progress,” said Mr Makawa.
He said the one day summit, themed: Redefining the Future Workplaces By Putting Employees First,, was meant to shape the future of the African workforce across all economic industry players locally and within the African continent as a testament to the growing recognition that employees were not merely cogs in the wheel of production, but rather the driving force behind organisation’s growth, resilience and adaptability.
Presenting on the future of Botswana workforce and the challenges and opportunities that lies ahead, Ministry of Labour and Home and Affairs deputy permanent secretary responsible for Labour and Social Security and Occupational Safety and Health, Ms Boineelo Lobelo said wellness would be the newest matric that companies used to understand their employees as employees no longer have the liberty to leave their problems at the door.
“Nowadays, companies are investing fully on their employees. They are adopting their employees wellbeing measures, just to augment that, financial education, mental and physical health, predicting employees performance and retention,” she added.
For that reason, Ms Lobelo said employees should leverage on such opportunities and position themselves and cope in the future workplaces by developing the courage of self-introspection and aspire to make an impact.
Presenting on globalisation, Employee Africa managing director, Ms Nikita Makwana encouraged employees to cultivate a global mindset to thrive in a global economy and to develop cultural intelligence to be able to work harmoniously with a diversity of people.
“We are global citizens, so as a professional and service provider you should be ready for globalisation. Appreciate that you are different from every other individual that you work with and make it your duty to put yourselves first and to intentionally know and understand your colleagues well, as well as your employer. As employers, let’s also understand our employees’ unique capabilities and appreciate them,” she added.
Somolekae and Associates managing partner, Ms Shathani Somolekae encouraged employees to familiarise themselves with the law that governed them at work and their rights as employees.
Mbewe Legal Practice founder, Ms Njiramanda Mbewe said both employers and employees, had the duty to respect the workplace, as a professional setting, and exercise restraint, by knowing what to say, when to say it and to whom.
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