Future of Africa depends on government’s positive engagement, says Botswana MOYGSC

Botswana: The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Honourable Tumiso Rakgare, has said the future of Africa depends upon the government’s positive engagement and empowerment of the youth. Minister Rakgare was officiating at the Africa Youth Entrepreneurs Summit (AYES) held yesterday at Grand Aria.

This year’s summit was themed “The Internet of things, Africa’s Next Growth Frontier, where young entrepreneurs from different countries gathered for the 5th edition of the summit’s convention. “It is through initiatives like this one where young people demonstrate their ability to lead,” the Minister said.

He mentioned that the idea to bring together entrepreneurs from across the continent is actually putting into practice the African Continental Free Trade Area. Minister Rakgare extended an arm of acknowledgement to the private sector for continuously supporting youth through funding and other means.

Referencing the power of the internet, he urged attendees to capitalize on it and use the internet as a tool to build empires that would bring tangible dividends and improve the lives of multitudes.

The Minister reiterated the aspect of inclusivity in the world of business, as it is key in unlocking a chain of possible business opportunities. Those in attendance were urged to develop the culture of networking to learn, inspire and aspire to each other in different avenues of life regardless of their cultural and national backgrounds.

The audience was also advised to bring forth meaningful broad based solutions on how to grow their respective businesses and contribute towards Africa’s economic growth. “The time is now for you to think cross-borders and not limit yourselves to your countries; global markets are there for you to conquer”, he said.

The African Youth Entrepreneurs Summit is the brainchild of Ms Lemogang Senwelo.