14/08/2025
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐, ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ: ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐๐น๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎโ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Botswanaโs Vice President, Mr. Ndaba Gaolathe , has called on the countryโs accounting profession to lead with resilience, values, and inclusive innovation as Botswana navigates a rapidly evolving digital era. Speaking at the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants(BICA) 2025 Annual Conference, held under the theme โPowering Progress: Resilience in the Digital Era,โ the Vice President urged delegates to see themselves as architects of Botswanaโs transformation.
โThis theme is both a powerful challenge and a hopeful invitation,โ Mr. Gaolatlhe told the gathering. โWe must reflect on where we are, adapt to where we are going, and rise together with purpose and strength.โ
The Vice President praised accountants as โthe bedrock of financial trust in Botswana,โ whose work underpins investor confidence, governance, and economic stability. He noted that while Botswana enjoys peace and stability, the nation faces an urgent need to adapt to a world where digitisation is no longer a future aspiration but a daily reality. From e-government services to digital payments and remote work, he said, the transformation is touching โevery corner of the country, from corporate boardrooms to small family-run shops.โ
Highlighting global and regional pressuresโeconomic turbulence, digital disruption, geopolitical risks, and climate changeโMr. Gaolatlhe stressed that resilience is now a strategic necessity. โThese forces do not arrive one at a time,โ he warned. โThey converge rapidly and without warning. To remain relevant, we must build institutional muscle and professional agility to anticipate, absorb, and recover from shocks.โ
He identified emerging risks shaping the future of finance, including sophisticated cyberattacks, decentralised finance, central bank digital currencies, and ethical dilemmas in artificial intelligence. While tighter regulation is necessary, he said, it is not enough. โThe accounting profession is uniquely positioned to leadโfrom building ethical guardrails in AI to designing systems that protect the public interest in volatile digital markets,โ he stated.
Reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vice President noted how accountants adapted quickly, finding new ways to serve communities. But he cautioned that progress must be grounded in Botswanaโs values: Botho (humanity), development, and self-reliance. โMotho ke motho ka bathoโpeople do not thrive in isolation,โ he reminded the audience.
On technology, he urged professionals to embrace innovation as a partner rather than a threat. โArtificial intelligence, blockchain, automationโthese are tools. But they do not think, they do not feel, they do not apply wisdom. That is our role.โ The accountant of the future, he argued, must be both tech-savvy and values-driven.
Addressing BICAโs role, Mr. Gaolatlhe described the institute as โan engine of transformation,โ setting high standards, developing talent, and safeguarding public trust. He encouraged BICA to lead digital upskilling through training in data analytics, cybersecurity, and ethical AI, and to strengthen collaboration with government, private sector, and regional partners.
The Vice President also emphasised the need for inclusive transformation. Digital progress, he said, must benefit rural communities, small businesses, women, youth, and people with disabilities. He painted a vision of a Botswana where โa graduate in Molepolole can audit a company in Francistown remotely, and a grandmother in Ramotswa can manage her books from a mobile device.โ
Concluding his address, Mr. Gaolatlhe reaffirmed Botswanaโs identity as a nation of humility, strength, and integrity. โThe digital era should amplify our values, not replace them. Let us combine Botho with boldness, tradition with transformation, and knowledge with courage,โ he said. โOur work is not just about numbersโit is about nation-building. Together, we can build a Botswana that is not only digitally advanced but also deeply human.โ
Ke a leboga. P**a!
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