Botswana will host the Mobile and Internet Summit 2023 next month, which is anticipated to spark discussion about creating a unified digital transformation environment for the Southern African nation.

In announcing the next summit, Continental Media Group director Phuthego Chere stated that while mobile and internet are the future, the local ecosystem is not cohesive and a united front is required.

"We still do not have a solid tech ecosystem and we need to cultivate the ground, so that people (investors) can invest in technology," Chere went on to say.

"Our digital transformation is being done in silos, and the government is leaving stakeholders behind," Chere added, emphasising the importance of empowering entrepreneurs to lead digital change.

Chere believes that governments should encourage technology and innovation, noting the fact that some of the world's biggest technological businesses, like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta, have had government assistance.

He claims that the Botswana Mobile and Internet Summit 2023 will examine the country's digital transformation and identify its deficiencies, such as the economy's lack of skills to fuel development.

"There are gaps in our education, we do not have good quality education on information systems and computer science, and graduates rarely up skill after graduation," Chere said.

He urged the private sector to harness and grow a developer community in order to help address the country's massive skills gap while also developing solutions to support digital transformation.