Meet BDIH — Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub
Botswana's $60 million science and technology park.
🙏 Thanks in advance for reading this case study. It’s part of a series called Ecosystem Players where I highlight and celebrate startups, founders, and initiatives that foster the development of the tech ecosystem across emerging markets.
South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt - all known as the “big four” when it comes to entrepreneurial ecosystems in the African continent — and where did the inaugural Forbes Under 30 Africa Summit take place? Botswana.
I couldn’t help but wonder, out of all the other known options, why Botswana? Until then, all I knew was its incredible position as one of the world’s largest diamond exporters and the influence of its tourism industry in the economy - but about its entrepreneurial ecosystem? Nothing.
I didn’t have to search for too long though. Once I realized the magnitude of the venue where the summit would be hosted — the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub, I knew the country was into something big.
Background
Botswana is a rapidly developing African country with a strong economy that is driven by mining, tourism, and agriculture, and a growing technology sector strategically crafted as a way to reduce its dependency on natural resources.
The country has a relatively sparse population, with just over 2.3 million people. The majority of the population is concentrated in the eastern part of the country, with the capital city of Gaborone being the largest city.
In this edition of Ecosystem Players, we'll dive into the vision, strategic endeavours and transformative impact of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub, exploring how it has become a beacon of technological advancement and entrepreneurial spirit in the region. We will look into the Hub’s role in nurturing local talents, fostering collaborative partnerships, and propelling Botswana into one of the vanguards of the digital revolution in the continent.
Conception
Inspired by the world’s largest technology centres’ such as Silicon Valley, the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH) is a government-created innovation hub, working with investors, corporations, Academia and research institutes, to help businesses and individuals develop new ideas and products in Botswana.
The need for the establishment of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub was highlighted in the Botswana Excellence Strategy (2008), in response to the need to foster the development of the technology sector, provide infrastructure, space and incentives to startups, support the development of an incubation facility and house different research laboratories.
In 2010 the BDIH was incorporated and operations commenced in 2012, under a special economic zone which gives companies tax incentives and labor dispensation. It has two subsidiaries: Botswana Innovation Hub Properties (BIHP) and Botswana Innovation Hub Investments (BIHI).
The Botswana Innovation Hub Properties (BIHP) is responsible for developing and managing the Science and Technology Park in Botswana and the Botswana Innovation Hub Investments (BIHI) is responsible for attracting commercially viable and technology-related investments to Botswana.
BDIH Strategic Areas:
Develop and manage the Science and Technology Park
Attract innovative companies and institutions
Foster commercialization of innovations and technology transfer
Contribute towards competitiveness & national priorities
The BDIH was designed to address a common set of challenges across all African nations nations such as; a limited pool of experienced tech workers and a lack of access to venture capital. The Hub achieves this through its various training and development programs, connecting startups with experienced mentors, and hosting regular networking events, investment programs and match-making sessions.
Dichaba Consumer Electronics
One of the technology companies that form part of the BDIH ecosystem is Dichaba Consumer Electronics. A Botswana-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in manufacturing high-quality smartphones, laptops, televisions, refrigerators, and routers.
Dichaba Consumer Electronics is a unique company for a number of reasons. First, it is one of the few companies in Africa that manufactures its own consumer electronics products. Second, Dichaba Consumer Electronics is focused on developing products that are specifically designed for the local market, by investing in features that are particularly useful for people in Africa, such as long-lasting batteries and solar charging capabilities.
Membership
Companies, research and advanced training institutions that are operating within the five focus areas: information and communication technology (ICT) and ICT enabled services, Energy and Environment (Clean Technology), Mining Technologies and Beneficiation, Biotechnology and Creative Industries, are invited to become members.
Membership Benefits:
Access to co-working space, mentorship, and other resources
Networking opportunities with other startups and entrepreneurs
Opportunities to collaborate on research and development projects
Access to funding opportunities
Services
Technology Entrepreneurship Development
Incubation
Business Acceleration
Innovation Capacity Building
Innovation Funding
Seed/ Early-stage Funding
Technology Transfer & Innovation Commercialization
Intellectual Property Advisory Services
Market Readiness and Market Access
Real Estate
Grade A Office space to let (Lettable area:15,000 sqm)
Commercial & light industrial Plots for sale (57 Ha Fully serviced plots)
Conclusion
Surely the BDIH is a successful innovation hub that has had a significant impact on the tech ecosystem in Botswana, and it is just the beginning as the hub is well-positioned to continue to grow and thrive in the future.
As a government-led initiative, one of the most critical needs for the hub will be to maintain its financial sustainability. The BDIH is currently fully funded by the government, but it is important to develop a long-term plan to reduce the hub's reliance on government funding. By analyzing the portfolio of services offered by the Hub and its focus on strategic partnerships, it is clear that its management has this in mind.
Another critical aspect of its sustainability will rely on the Hub’s ability to attract and retain experienced tech workers and entrepreneurs. Partnering with educational institutions remains equally important to train and develop the next generation of tech workers.
The BDIH is also a model for other innovation hubs in Africa and other developing regions. The hub's success shows that it is possible to create a thriving tech ecosystem in a developing country. BDIH's focus on social impact is also unique and commendable.
More:
Reference(s):
Forbes. (2022, February 23rd). Inaugural Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa To Take Place In Botswana In April 2022. Forbes Staff. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2022/02/23/inaugural-forbes-under-30-summit-africa-to-take-place-in-botswana-in-april-2022/?sh=234af2961990
Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.bih.co.bw
Investopedia. (2023, June 23rd). Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Meaning and Relation to FDI. Adam Barone. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sez.asp