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The University of Botswana’s Career and Counselling Centre, Job Placement Unit, participated in the 3rd Annual Employee Africa Summit held from 26th to 27th June 2025. Themed Empowering Workforce Resilience: Innovation & Change in Africa, the summit convened government officials, private sector leaders, industry experts, and recent graduates for two days of rigorous engagement and high-level discourse on the future of work on the continent.

Hosted under the banner of workforce transformation, the summit explored emerging trends, the dynamics of employability, and how innovation can drive a resilient labour force across Africa. It served as a melting pot of ideas, best practices, and forward-looking strategies.

Delivering a keynote address, Botswana’s Minister of Sports and Arts, Honourable Jacob Kelebeng, challenged prevailing societal norms around careers. “We must reimagine sports and arts beyond hobbies and leisure. These are industries with tangible economic potential and the ability to create meaningful employment,” he said. Minister Kelebeng urged stakeholders to nurture a generation of athletes and creatives who can project Botswana’s story onto the global stage.

Adding to the discourse, Mrs. Violet Labane, Deputy Director of the University of Botswana’s Careers and Counselling Centre, spoke on the Centre’s pivotal role in shaping graduates into competent and adaptive professionals. “Our mandate goes beyond job placement. We equip students to navigate the job market with resilience and clarity,” Labane said. She highlighted the Centre’s holistic approach—offering psycho-social support, psychometric assessments, personality-to-career alignment, and development counselling to ensure UB students are not only employable but impactful contributors to society.

One of the session highlights was a presentation by Mrs. Nikita Makwana, CEO of the International Language Hub. Drawing from her work as a Chinese language expert, Makwana spotlighted Cultural Intelligence as a critical skill in an increasingly globalized job market. “Cultural understanding goes beyond language—it’s about breaking unseen barriers and fostering genuine collaboration,” she noted, emphasizing its role in building internationally competent employees.

Equally compelling was a contribution by Professor Alinah K. Segobye, CEO of the Botswana Human Resource Development Council. Addressing the link between workplace culture and performance, she stressed the value of Emotional Intelligence in the modern workforce. “A healthy organizational environment is the bedrock of productivity,” Professor Segobye remarked. “Leaders must prioritize emotional wellbeing to enable their teams to perform and grow.”

As Africa confronts the challenges of unemployment and skills mismatch, the summit made a strong case for multi-sectoral collaboration. The University of Botswana’s presence and contributions at the summit reinforced its commitment to preparing a workforce that is not just employable but agile, emotionally intelligent, and globally aware.