With a career spanning executive roles in a management consultancy company, a listed pan-African technology group, his own software company, and now board roles at a leading bank and Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub (BDIH), Ogone Mothooagae is familiar with the workings of Botswana tech.
From his years of experience, what is clear to him is that Botswana has made significant strides in growing its tech industry. So what will it take to reach that next level? That is the question he answers in a conversation with BW TechZone, which touches on his role as board chair of BD&IH.
Please briefly take us through your career in tech in Botswana
I’ve been fortunate to contribute to Botswana’s tech ecosystem over the past two decades. My journey began after earning an Honours degree in Software Engineering from the University of Manchester. Upon my return home, I founded a small tech firm focused on business process automation and website development, meeting a growing demand at the time. A highlight from that period was pioneering Botswana’s first online radio stream via GabzFM.
I later joined Accenture, where I spent a decade helping organisations drive transformation through technology, eventually progressing to a senior management role. This was followed by an executive role as Managing Director at Adapt IT Botswana, a then JSE-listed Pan-African technology group, where I worked across regional markets.
Today, I serve as Founder and CEO of Stencil Technologies, a Botswana-born software company with regional presence. My work has spanned diverse sectors including energy, FMCG, telecoms, financial services, and the public sector. In parallel, I’ve served on both public and private boards—currently as a Non-Executive Director at Access Bank Botswana and Chairman of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH).
I remain passionate about innovation, leadership, and the future of AI in Africa, with a growing interest in areas such as predictive analytics and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Most recently, I completed the Stanford Seed Business Leadership Program, continuing my commitment to lifelong learning and impactful leadership.
As Chair of the BD&IH board, please take us through what that role entails
As Chair of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH), my role is fundamentally about providing strategic oversight and governance, while helping guide the organisation through a period of necessary transformation. The Botswana Government established BDIH to be a catalyst for innovation, technology adoption, and entrepreneurship in Botswana. Still, like many institutions of its kind, it has faced challenges in gaining meaningful traction.
My responsibility as Chair is to work closely with the board and executive leadership to refocus the organisation and optimise it for success, ensuring it delivers tangible value to startups, corporates, and the national innovation ecosystem. This includes driving accountability, sharpening strategic priorities, aligning stakeholders, and creating a high-performance culture that is outcomes-driven.
Transformation of this nature requires clear vision, tough but constructive conversations, and a commitment to excellence. My role is to ensure the board is not merely a governance body, but also a source of support and challenge that helps the organisation pivot towards impact and relevance in line with the fast-evolving digital landscape that we live in.
In its 14 years, what would you say has been the biggest impediment to BDIH achieving its mandates
Having only recently joined the BDIH board, I am not in a position to speak with authority on the specific shortcomings of the past 14 years, certainly not without full context. Rather than looking back, my focus is to channel energy into how we pivot, adapt, and deliver meaningful impact going forward.
Institutions like BDIH often face the challenge of balancing public-sector mandates with the agility and innovation pace demanded by the tech, innovation and startup ecosystem. Without clear, measurable outcomes and the right level of autonomy and accountability, even the best-intentioned initiatives can struggle to gain traction. Our focus is now to help create the conditions necessary for BDIH to truly deliver on its potential—clarity of purpose, strong partnerships, operational excellence, and a results-driven culture.
How has the board helped the organisation address these impediments?
Since my appointment, the board has taken a proactive approach in helping BDIH refocus and reposition itself for success. We’ve taken steps to define, together, what success for the BDIH looks like. To support this, we are working on strengthening governance, demanding greater strategic clarity, and supporting management in identifying the core areas where BDIH can create real value. This includes encouraging a shift toward measurable outcomes, improved operational efficiency, and stronger stakeholder engagement.
Lastly, we're setting a tone of accountability, performance, and collaboration— I personally see these metrics as critical ingredients for overcoming any past barriers and delivering on the promise of the Hub.
In terms of the BDIH mandate of boosting technology in Botswana, what are some initiatives that the board has promoted?
The board has prioritised several initiatives that can unlock immediate value while laying the foundation for long-term impact. One of the low-hanging opportunities we identified was supporting the government's efforts to engage big-tech platforms around social media monetisation, particularly to empower local creatives across various media channels. This has the potential to open new economic avenues for young, digital-content creatives.
We’ve also continued to strengthen strategic partnerships, both locally and internationally, recognising that collaboration is essential to building a thriving innovation ecosystem. At the same time, a key priority for the board has been leadership stabilisation. It is common knowledge that the organisation has operated without a substantive CEO for over five years, and we’ve made it a top priority to recruit a right leader to drive the strategy forward with focus and agility. These actions reflect our commitment to moving from aspiration to execution.
Equally important, we are committed to increasing BDIH’s transparency and accessibility to all Batswana. The Hub must be seen as an open platform for innovation—one that is inclusive, responsive, and relevant to both aspiring and established innovators across the country.
How impactful and effective have these initiatives been
Many of these initiatives are still in their early stages, so it would be premature to assess their full impact. However, we’re already beginning to see encouraging signs of traction.
More broadly, there’s a growing sense of purpose and urgency within the organisation. While much work remains, the foundation is being laid for a more impactful and responsive BDIH—one that can genuinely serve the innovation needs of Botswana.
Partnerships are a vital part of the BDIH. Firstly, please share the rationale the board uses to decide on partnerships
We see partnerships as central to BDIH’s vision, and the board approaches them with a clear, strategic rationale. At the core, we ask: Does this partnership help us deliver on our mandate to stimulate innovation, support local innovators, and grow Botswana’s knowledge economy?
We evaluate potential partnerships based on their alignment with national priorities, the value they bring to the local innovation ecosystem, and their ability to unlock opportunities for Botswana-based entrepreneurs, researchers, and creatives. We also look for partners who are committed to knowledge transfer, capacity building, and long-term collaboration, not just transactional engagements.
Secondly, how have these partnerships contributed to the overall mandate of the BD&IH
While still evolving, the partnerships we’ve fostered thanks to the dedication of management are beginning to contribute meaningfully to BDIH’s overarching mandate of enabling a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Botswana. Some have opened doors for startups to access markets, mentorship, and technical resources they might not have otherwise had. Others have helped position BDIH as a credible platform for knowledge exchange and digital transformation, both regionally and globally.
For example, partnerships in the academic and research space have supported innovation challenges and capacity-building programs, while those with the private sector have brought critical infrastructure, tools and even commercial opportunities to early-stage innovators.
Overall, what role does the BD&IH play in growing tech and innovation in Botswana?
I believe I’ve touched on this in my earlier responses, but to summarise: BDIH plays a critical role as both a platform and enabler for technology and innovation in Botswana. Its purpose is to nurture an ecosystem where ideas can be tested, scaled, and commercialised—whether through supporting startups, facilitating research and development, or forging strategic partnerships.
Beyond infrastructure, the Hub serves as a connector, linking innovators with government, industry, academia, and international networks. It’s also a policy thought partner, helping shape the national discourse around digital transformation, emerging technologies, and inclusive innovation.
At its best, BDIH should be the heartbeat of Botswana’s innovation drive: accessible, agile, and impact-driven. Our work on the board is focused on making that vision a reality—turning aspiration into execution, and potential into progress.
Anything else you would like to add
Just to add, I believe this is a pivotal moment for Botswana’s innovation journey. We have the talent, the ambition, and increasingly, the infrastructure to compete on a global stage. What’s needed now is bold execution, meaningful collaboration, and an unrelenting focus on impact. I’m optimistic about the direction BDIH is taking, and I invite all stakeholders—innovators, investors, academia, and government—to join us in building a truly inclusive and future-ready innovation ecosystem.