ESTDEV joins Team Europe to support digital development in Botswana

The EU support to digital transformation in Botswana is funded by the European Union and co-funded by France.

This joint initiative, led by Expertise France, contributes to improving e-government services in Botswana, promoting seamless data exchange, and increasing public sector efficiency through digital solutions. ESDTEV contributes with Estonia’s extensive experience and knowledge in digital transformation and e-governance, while the Finnish Institute of Public Administration (HAUS) will support the project with its long-standing experience in building the capacity of public administration.

„As part of the digital agenda, digital transformation is a priority both for the new government in Botswana and for the EU, contributing to economic growth and diversification, and to job creation. Together with our partners we will support Botswana to move towards a knowledge economy in the years to come,“ said Catalin Gherman, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Botswana and SADC.

“Our contribution lies primarily in supporting the design and implementation of transparent, user-friendly e-services and digital strategies. Through training, practical solutions and strategic advice, we will provide Botswana with the necessary tools to enable key stakeholders in the country, such as the private and public sectors and academic institutions, to fully exploit the potential of digital technologies and improve service delivery across all sectors,” said Laura Sein, ESDTEV’s project manager.

Estonia will collaborate with Botswana to develop a national interoperability framework and implement best practices in digital governance to simplify administrative processes, reduce bureaucracy and make services more accessible and inclusive for all citizens. ESTDEV is responsible for implementing the EUR 1.5 million, and team members will travel to Botswana in early February to establish project priorities.

“The main objective of the first visit to Botswana is to meet with local partners, start inception phase activities, and agree on a joint action plan. Although Botswana still has a long way to go, it is good to see that there is motivation to start digitising the country. It is important to proceed from the needs of local partners because they are ultimately the users of this digital state,” said Andres Ääremaa, ESTDEV’s programme manager for Digital Transformation.

Botswana has already taken steps towards digitalisation. In 2020, the country created SmartBots, the national digital transformation strategy. By providing the framework for digitising all sectors, SmartBots aims to support national digital unification, digitise public services through e-government development, and create an innovation ecosystem to support entrepreneurship.

Although Botswana is one of the newest target countries for Estonian development cooperation, Estonian companies have contributed to developing Botswana’s e-state for years. For example, Nortal has been working in Botswana since 2017, assisting with building Botswana’s tax administration and revenue collection solution.

This article has been produced with the financial assistance of Expertise France and the Delegation of the European Union to Botswana and SADC. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Estonian Centre for International Development and may under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of Expertise France and the Delegation of the European Union to Botswana and SADC.

Picture source: Garage48