Botswana Minute.
Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Wednesday, 16 September 2026
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Botswanan press · Organization

Local Enterprise Authority

Also known as: LEA

Local Enterprise Authority — government enterprise development organization providing business training, advisory services, and financing support to SMMEs and entrepreneurs across Botswana.

2026-04-232026-09-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. September 2026
  2. Daily News Botswana

    If necessary, the businesses are recommended for further expansion. “Development of their businesses can be done through financial enterprises like the Citizen Economic Development Agency (CEDA), the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), the National Development Bank (NDB), and other

    Council rehabilitation programme success
  3. Daily News Botswana

    She added that the summit had attracted support from several partners, including the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Ba Isago University and Grand Palm, among others.

    PAGC challenges enterprises to look beyond local market
  4. Weekend Post

    The agreement explicitly supports SPEDU’s existing work alongside the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency and the Local Enterprise Authority to resuscitate previously shuttered manufacturing businesses in the region.

    A bank, a Gov’t agency, and a post-mining future:
  5. August 2026
  6. Daily News Botswana

    Organised by the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, the seminar aimed to reverse commercial failures by connecting beneficiaries with strategic partners, including the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub and Stanbic Bank.

    Low Loan Recovery Threatens P59m Youth Fund
  7. Daily News Botswana

    After submitting a comprehensive business proposal to the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) under the Youth Development Fund (YDF), Mr Marope successfully secured P100,000 in funding.

    Marope turns childhood curiosity into thriving milling business
  8. Weekend Post

    Gaborone, Botswana — Bank Gaborone (BG) and the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) aimed at improving access to finance, strengthening entrepreneurship, and supporting the growth and sustainability of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (

    Bank Gaborone and LEA Partner to Unlock SMME Growth and Financing Opportunities in Botswana
  9. July 2026
  10. Daily News Botswana

    She confirmed that she received P21,000 from the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) through the Chemachema grant programme and P2,500 from Letlhabile initiative.

    Gabaeme turns indigenous fruits into value-added products
  11. Daily News Botswana

    Mr Rowland welcomed government efforts through the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), which has installed greenhouse technologies at the Glen Valley Incubator, where farmers nationwide can receive training.

    Farmers reel from bitter winter blow
  12. Weekend Post

    The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and Okavango Wilderness Safaris have partnered to improve market access for citizen-owned businesses in Botswana’s tourism sector, with the two organisations launching a Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme (CEEP) aimed at developing competi

    LEA, Wilderness partner to unlock tourism market for citizen businesses
  13. April 2026
  14. Daily News Botswana

    Over and above that, he said he was working with Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) to make his coffee available in local shops throughout the country.

    Farmer redefines coffee niche
Society

North East District Council rehabilitation supports vulnerable populations

The News

The North East District Council runs comprehensive rehabilitation programmes offering technical skills, training and business management education to vulnerable populations, aiming to reduce poverty and improve food security by helping able-bodied beneficiaries establish individual businesses and reduce reliance on government handouts. Projects range from small stock and catering to hair salons, carpentry and milling, with continuous psychosocial support provided to shift beneficiaries' mindsets.

10 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Thursday 10 September

  1. North East District Council rehabilitation supports vulnerable populations

    The North East District Council runs comprehensive rehabilitation programmes offering technical skills, training and business management education to vulnerable populations, aiming to reduce poverty and improve food security by helping able-bodied beneficiaries establish individual businesses and reduce reliance on government handouts. Projects range from small stock and catering to hair salons, carpentry and milling, with continuous psychosocial support provided to shift beneficiaries' mindsets.

    10 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Wednesday 9 September

  1. PAGC urges Botswana entrepreneurs to expand beyond domestic market

    Pan African Game Changers founder Dr Precious Gondwe has called on young entrepreneurs to move beyond Botswana's 2.5-million-person domestic market and pursue opportunities across Africa and the region, including through strategic partnerships with neighbouring countries to overcome the landlocked position.

    9 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Thursday 3 September

  1. FNB and SPEDU partner to finance post-mining Selebi Phikwe projects

    First National Bank Botswana and SPEDU have signed a partnership agreement to address financing gaps for industrial investment projects worth between 5.9 billion and 6.8 billion pula in the Selebi Phikwe region, testing whether Botswana's push toward private sector-led economic diversification can succeed.

    3 September 2026 · Weekend Post

Monday 31 August

  1. Low loan recovery threatens P59 million youth fund

    A district commissioner disclosed that unauthorised business relocations and high closure rates have created a capital shortfall in the Youth Development Fund. Ministry officials and industry partners held a workshop to help 150 beneficiaries improve repayment rates and business viability through better cost controls and market expansion.

    31 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Thursday 20 August

  1. Young entrepreneur builds sorghum milling business in Palapye

    Thatayaone Marope, 35, established Warona Sorghum Milling in Palapye after childhood curiosity about grain processing inspired him. With P100,000 in LEA Youth Development Fund support in 2020 and a subsequent P1.2 million expansion loan from the National Development Bank, the business has grown from one employee processing sorghum to a larger operation.

    20 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Tuesday 4 August

  1. Bank Gaborone and LEA launch three-year partnership

    Bank Gaborone and LEA have entered a three-year partnership combining the bank's financial solutions and expertise with LEA's enterprise development, training, and business advisory services to help entrepreneurs become more bankable and investment-ready. The collaboration will include joint workshops, business clinics, roadshows, and SMME-focused platforms alongside tailored banking solutions and funding opportunities.

    4 August 2026 · Mmegi

Monday 3 August

  1. Bank Gaborone and LEA partner on three-year SMME support initiative

    Bank Gaborone and the Local Enterprise Authority have signed a three-year Memorandum of Agreement to improve SMME access to finance, entrepreneurship support, and business advisory services through joint workshops, clinics, and financial literacy programs.

    3 August 2026 · Weekend Post

Thursday 23 July

  1. Tshane entrepreneur transforms indigenous fruits into preserves and powders

    Ms Pelonomi Gabaeme, 56, operates TKT's Best Indigenous Food Preserves in Tshane, turning locally available Kgalagadi resources such as wild Kalahari bitter melon, cactus fruit, and melon into value-added products including jams, juices, and powders. She began the enterprise in 2011 after her teaching contract ended, leveraging her Home Economics background and the abundance of underutilized indigenous resources in the region.

    23 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Wednesday 22 July

  1. Six Kanye farmers lose P1.5 million to July frost

    A three-day frost in Kanye District between July 8 and 10 destroyed approximately P1.5 million worth of field crops on at least six farms, damaging 1.5 hectares of cabbage and 0.25 hectares of tomatoes as well as chillies, spinach, rape, and other vegetables. The district irrigation officer noted that while frost is not uncommon in the region, most farmers had protected their crops with tunnels, and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture offers subsidy packages to help farmers install protective measures.

    22 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Friday 17 July

  1. LEA and Okavango Wilderness launch citizen business tourism partnership

    The Local Enterprise Authority and Okavango Wilderness Safaris have partnered to improve market access for citizen-owned businesses in Botswana's tourism sector through a Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme, addressing a key constraint facing small and medium enterprises—limited access to sustainable markets despite local production capacity.

    17 July 2026 · Weekend Post

Wednesday 29 April

  1. LEA launches nationwide SMME registration campaign

    Botswana's Local Enterprise Authority is conducting consultations across all districts through May 2026 to develop a centralised database of SMMEs and establish a mandatory registration framework. The move aims to improve coordination among ecosystem players and support more informed planning, addressing persistent challenges from the lack of accurate SMME data.

    29 April 2026 · Mmegi

Thursday 23 April

  1. Serule farmer scales velvet bean coffee production

    Benjamin Phole operates Tjikale Farm near Serule, producing velvet bean coffee—a natural, organic, caffeine-free alternative from Mucuna pruriens seeds that he says boosts the immune system and improves sleep and mood. He has acquired a trademark for OnnaBen Natural Products and expects 4,000 kilograms of coffee this season, partnering with LEA to expand distribution nationally while maintaining a mixed-farming system integrating livestock production.

    23 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Local Enterprise Authority — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute