SmartSwitch Botswana exists as part of a bigger ecosystem that serves to make financial access for a variety of beneficiaries easier. This means it operate in a space in which their end users do not have the same access to the same benefits as many other members of society.
SmartSwitch Botswana’s CSR policy is their initiative to engage these disadvantaged communities in which they already have a presence in, in such a way that they can positively impact their growth, development and socio-economic standing.
This year SmartSwitch Botswana chose to deliver smiles and hope to Thankane Primary school pupil in a ceremony that attracted Thankane community leaders and stakeholders at large.
Thankane Village is situated between farms after Mokhomma Village, approximately 70km south from Jwaneng along a dusty gravel road. Thankane Primary School houses 324 students today from reception class to standard 7 and was established in 1989.
Gracing the event and welcoming all stakeholders was Kgosi Dinkwetse Kesemang, who spoke with concern about the needs of his village. He urged not only SmartSwitch but other private companies to remember Thankane village when they do programs like these to help eradicate poverty and reduce its sting in the community.
Encouraging and applauding SSB particularly for choosing the education sector within their constituency was Mme Segomotso Machola (Principal Community Development Officer II) from Mabutsane Sub District Council.
She urged private companies to consider all the areas within their constituency as it is highly hit by poverty and any help is big help. She mentioned that, a gesture like the one SmartSwitch displayed will definitely encourage their kids to work harder and better their studies.
SmartSwitch Botswana has been the technology behind the Food Basket System of Botswana for over 10 years effectively delivering social grants packages to orphans, destitute and homebased patients specifically.
Its core mandate is to utilise smartcards and a network of point-ofsale devices as a means of extending mainstream banking and financial services to the poor or vulnerable communities and using technologybased solutions to ensure efficient and timely transfer of government grants and minimize leakages.
Thankane village caught the attention of SmartSwitch Botswana sometimes in 2019 through a country wide roll out project where the company was exerting efforts to improve service to merchants who houses their POS devices and engaged through this program to service social grants beneficiaries by local authorities.
The Smartswitch Card, popularly known as the “Zebra Card” especially in villages get credited on monthly basis to allow beneficiaries to buy food packages at their convenience and a place of choice within approved merchants across villages.
The team led by the Managing Director, Mr France Mabiletsa, dedicated its efforts to the Thankane village. He mentioned that, as a stakeholder in a project that shows the government’s efforts to its communities, it was important for the company to dress all students irrespective of the social background.
“We worked with Batswana owned small companies to do this project as it is also significant to empower them”. He ended by saying “all this was done with love as Batswana for Botswana communities and answering a call from the governments of Botswana to private sector to help improve and show compassion to our communities”.
He emphasised that the company houses technology that does any payments for governments and private groups who may not necessarily qualify to be banked like Pensioners, ipelegeng workers, clusters workers etc.
It was evident through the project that a collaboration of the government and private sector can impact communities positively.
