Key Activities
- Supported Business Botswana to design and implement a nationwide Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) process, engaging 11 Business Councils to inform a post-COVID Private Sector Recovery Plan.
- Developed a custom PPD methodology, delivered capacity-building training, and produced a national roadmap embedding priorities of women- and youth-led enterprises.
- Conducted a technical study with CEDA to assess challenges facing women-led informal businesses and guide their formalisation journey.
- Developed personas, mapped formalisation stages, and analysed push/pull factors influencing transition to formal status.
- Produced a strategic framework with actionable recommendations for product design, partnerships, and data systems.
Outcomes
- Business Botswana institutionalised inclusive dialogue practices, with 40% women and 30% youth participation, and adopted the PPD guidebook for ongoing use.
- Stakeholder input shaped national recovery efforts and elevated underrepresented voices in policy processes.
- CEDA’s intervention directly informed the design of the Chema Chema Fund, launched in April 2024, offering tailored support to informal businesses.
- Following strong uptake, the fund was converted into a grant scheme by Presidential Directive in February 2025, with 72% of disbursements allocated to women-led enterprises—demonstrating significant impact on women’s economic empowerment.
Region
Botswana
Theme
Public-Private Dialogue | Informal Sector Formalisation | Women’s Economic Empowerment
Partners
Business Botswana, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA)