The Director of Botswana’s Institute of Energy and Technology Development (IETD),Charity Kennedy (pictured here) says the new sector is  “an opportunity to democratise knowledge, create decent jobs and build value chains that served the future of all Batswana”.

She told a media conference on 27 April 2025 that the IETD was organizing a cannabis and hemp conference on 28 August 2025 to “to share knowledge with cooperatives and other stakeholders”.

“The government should not be the only one pushing the issue of legislation and policy”, said Kennedy. We need to be players.”

She said the conference hoped to unlock a “job creation revolution since hemp presented an opportunity to create dignified sustainable employment, particularly in industries such as engineering, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, mining rehabilitation, pharmaceuticals and climate smart innovations.”

The aim of the conference was therefore to “facilitate multi-sectoral dialogue between policy makers, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations and the community”

Kennedy said innovation often failed to flourish where access to information and education was limited especially, in emerging markets.  She said with widespread awareness, citizens across rural and urban Botswana particularly woman and youth, could be empowered not just to participate but to innovate as well.

She said the conference would showcase research, education and international best practices from Africa and beyond as well as stimulate investment, entrepreneurship and industrialisation around hemp based technologies, and drive national conversation around regulatory and economic transformation.

One of the partner organisations, BW Jobs 4 Graduates representative, Christopher Seagateng said 28.7 per cent of youth were unemployed or underemployed as of 2024.

Seagateng said that they were training youth for the job market and matched them with potential employers, noting that there were many opportunities that could emerge from the hemp industry.

IETD is working in partnership with BW Jobs 4 Graduates, BOLESWA Youth Cooperatives, Botswana Cooperatives and Africa Lora Travel, to facilitate the August conference where a South African organisation, Cheeba Africa is expected to share technical insight. 

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