Executive Management

Mr. Ambrose Makgonatsotlhe is the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications – Technology and the Chairman of the Innovation Fund. Ambrose has 25 years' experience in technology and innovation, specifically in commercialisation, entrepreneurship and policy development. He has worked for the Botswana Technology Centre, Local Enterprise Authority, Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub, and the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability, and has also consulted extensively in the business development and energy industries. He holds a BEd in Design and Technology from the University of Botswana and an MSc in Technology and Innovation from the University of Sussex.

Ms. Andries is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in financial services and health insurance. Her career spans senior management and executive roles including Managing Director at Associated Fund Administrators (AFA), where she was responsible for administering BPOMAS as well as the Pula Medical Aid Scheme, and Managing Director of Hollard Life Botswana, where she established the life insurance business. She also served as Executive Director of the Botswana Institute of Banking and Finance, overseeing its repositioning into a multi-course training institution, with board experience at Bomaid and MRI. She holds a BSc and MSc in Actuarial Sciences, an MSc in Strategic Management, and a Master of Management and Finance Investment, and currently serves as Senior Consultant for the National Health Insurance (NHI) at the Ministry of Health, supporting Botswana's move towards Universal Health Coverage.

Ms. Gomolemo Lolo Madikgetla is a seasoned business leader, entrepreneur and Chartered Marketer with close to two decades of experience spanning corporate and investment banking, regional integration, trade and investment promotion, mining, consulting, entrepreneurship and strategic communications. Her career includes roles at Debswana Diamond Company, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, First National Bank Botswana, Rand Merchant Bank Botswana and the Botswana International Financial Services Centre, which later became part of the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC). She is the Founder of UNGWA Africa and Flam Arc Holdings and Co-Founder of DriveThru, and currently serves as Chairperson of the BITC Board. Ms Madikgetla has pursued executive and postgraduate studies through the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, Stellenbosch Business School, New York University and Strathmore Business School, and remains passionate about leadership development, entrepreneurship, innovation and women's economic empowerment across Africa.

Mr. Mosimanegape Mhaladi is an experienced energy specialist and engineering professional with over 25 years of experience in the energy, sustainability and environmental sectors. His career spans the public and private sectors, including roles as Principal Energy Engineer within Botswana's Department of Energy and the Ministry of Green Technology and Energy Security, Technical Director at Armada Industrial Solutions, Technical Programme Officer at BPC Lesedi, and Renewable Energy Engineer at the Botswana Technology Centre. He currently serves as an Energy Consultant at TM Energy Engineering Contractors, providing advisory services in energy performance, sustainable energy systems and engineering solutions. Mr Mhaladi holds an MSc in Energy Systems and Thermal Processes from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Systems from the University of Manchester.

Mr. Timothy Leatile Moalusi is the Registrar of Industrial Property at the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority. He possesses a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Botswana and a Masters in Intellectual Property from Franklin Pierce Law Centre, USA. His experience on intellectual property matters spans over 15 years, having started his career in the Office of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property Organization (ROCIP). He was part of the team that pioneered Botswana's trademark examination system in 1997, led the review of the Industrial Property Act which culminated in the 2012 Act, and led the development of the Botswana Intellectual Property Policy, approved by Parliament in February 2022. In 2010 he was appointed Chairman of the ARIPO Technical Committee on Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore, working on the draft Protocol later adopted as the Swakopmund Protocol, and has represented Botswana as an expert at the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore.

Ms. Sithembile Dingake holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Financial Management and has over 20 years' experience across corporate banking, development finance, venture capital and innovation funding in Southern Africa. Her career includes roles at AON Botswana, Barclays Bank Botswana, ABSA South Africa, Enablis Finance Corporation and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa. She served as an Investment Committee Member of South Africa's Innovation Fund, now the Technology Innovation Agency, and in corporate banking worked on complex transactions including guarantee structures supporting diamond sector financing. She is the Founding Coordinator of the Botswana Innovation Fund, operational since 2018, and has been instrumental in building strategic partnerships for the Fund, including Mastercard, Grand Challenges Africa and Scalar Energy International.

Mr. Gabriel Masabata has over 10 years' experience across ICT, Digital Transformation, Cloud Technologies and Innovation Management. He currently serves as an ICT Projects Advisor within the Botswana Innovation Fund, with expertise in Technology Evaluation, Commercialisation, Project Controls, ICT4D and Digital Innovation Governance. He is certified in Technology and Innovation Acceleration, Lean Six Sigma, Project Controls and AWS Cloud, with a strong focus on supporting scalable innovations and strengthening accountability across the innovation funding lifecycle.

Ms. Mpho Rapalai is the Innovation Fund Administrator at the Botswana Innovation Fund, where she supports the administration and implementation of innovation funding programmes aimed at advancing Botswana's innovation ecosystem and economic diversification. With a background in accounting and fund administration, she supports key aspects of the funding lifecycle, including funding application reviews, contracting, milestone-based disbursements, compliance monitoring, reporting and the Fund's governance processes. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) as well as an ESG certification, and holds a GIMI Level 3 Innovation certification, with professional interests spanning the practical application of ESG principles, innovation, governance, sustainability and the effective deployment of funding towards initiatives that create meaningful economic and social impact.