12 November 2025
Government has taken a decision to avail P200 million from the Alcohol Levy Fund towards the procurement of Creative Arts content for the young people, says President Advocate Duma Boko.
In his State of the Nation Address, President Boko said the youth are the nation’s most valuable and precious resource.
“We see your energy, we value your ideas, we admire your courage. Your talent, creativity and innovative spirit stand at the very heart of our national renewal,” said President Boko.
President Boko said his administration was committed to creating the environment that will nurture their potential, support their entrepreneurial dreams and harness their digital capabilities for national development.
“We will not dismiss your ideas but develop them; we will not ignore your aspirations but invest in them. The Botswana we build tomorrow will be shaped by your imagination and courage today,” he said.
The President said the Ministry for State President has established The Presidential Youth Empowerment Campaign (PYEC), which has the potential to create employment across all sectors. He further said despite the country facing a pressing unemployment crisis, especially with youth unemployment standing at 38%, government has selected 186 projects across nine priority sectors.
He explained that the projects are BETP selected projects, saying BETP intends to create 512 000 jobs, primarily targeting the youth.
He said one of the projects to debut the Presidential Youth Empowerment Campaign is the Climate-Smart Horticulture Development Programme, a targeted skilling and capacity building programme designed to develop over 500 small-hold farmers organised in clusters.
He noted that a horticulture-specific fund in partnership with financial institutions will be established to facilitate young farmers and beneficiaries to access both local and export markets. President Boko highlighted that PYEC has also mobilised a task force to develop a coordinated, data-driven strategy in partnership with UNICEF, Office of the Assistant Secretary General for Youth at the United Nations and the United Nations Commission for Africa.
He said the initial Presidential Youth Empowerment Campaign projects include the Textile Acceleration Programme, Government Automobile Maintenance Programme, and the Digital Content Creation Hub, all of which have a component of skills development and mentorship for the growth of priority industries and employment creation.
“A baseline study will be undertaken to identify 1 000 most promising candidates and produce key deliverables including a Botswana Digital Employability Index, a national trainer registry, and a youth policy brief. These tools will guide future interventions and ensure targeted impact to be scaled to 10,000 participants,” he said.
President Boko said government is currently updating all the relevant policies and legal frameworks to unlock the potential of the sector and to support its growth. He said the Cinematography Bill, which will modernise Botswana’s film industry with clear standards for production, distribution and exhibition, will be tabled before Parliament in the current sitting.
President Boko also said initiatives aimed at developing opportunities for Batswana youth will be delivered under the new agreements.
“The recently launched International Graduate Development Programme is the first of such initiatives.
This is a rolling two-year programme where young Batswana graduates will have the opportunity to work across De Beers’ global operations developing future skills for the diamond industry and beyond,” he said.
He said the reintroduction of sporting activities in schools is a valuable investment for the future, as it will enable the country to nurture elite athletes, performers, actors, and diverse creative talents. President Boko said University sponsorships for Masters and PhD studies and internships with De Beers designed for students from tertiary institutions across Botswana would be launched in December 2025.
“To provide opportunities for skills growth and the participation of Batswana in diamond beneficiation, our new agreements with De Beers provide for a Diamond Entrepreneurship Programme, which is on track to be launched the coming month,” said President Boko.
In acknowledging the drug and alcohol-related challenges young people are grappling with, President Boko said government is in discussion with business partners to help complete and operationalise a 50-bed youth-friendly rehabilitation centre in Serowe in the last quarter of the current financial year. The planned facility would offer both in-patient and out-patient services.
“This is but one of many steps that government is taking to wage war against this scourge, so that no young Motswana gets robbed of his or her future by drug and alcohol abuse,” he said.
Source: https://shorturl.at/YQISp
