Bogolo Kenewendo: From Motopi to the Global Stage
Just over a decade ago, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo was a determined young girl in Motopi, a modest village near Botswana’s Okavango Delta. While much of the world saw Botswana through the gleam of diamonds, she saw the quiet spaces where opportunity seldom reached—and resolved to change that reality.
A Chevening Scholar, Kenewendo earned a master's degree in international economics from the University of Sussex, following a bachelor's in economics from the University of Botswana. While many with elite credentials stayed abroad, she chose to return home—not for comfort, but to serve.
In 2018, at just 30 years old, she made history as Botswana’s youngest cabinet minister when President Mokgweetsi Masisi appointed her Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry. Her appointment wasn’t just symbolic. She swiftly led efforts to simplify business registration, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, and push the national economy toward diversification—lessening Botswana’s dependence on diamonds.
Kenewendo’s economic vision was rooted in inclusion. She championed rural entrepreneurship, gender equity in trade, and expanded space for youth in policymaking. Her governance style combined transparency, community dialogue, and evidence-based policy, earning her national and international credibility.
By 2019, her influence had grown global. UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed her to the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation. The following year, she was named a UN Global Climate Champion, advocating for resilience and just transitions across the Global South.
Kenewendo has since become a sought-after voice on major platforms. She speaks regularly at the World Economic Forum and sits on its Global Future Council on Global Public Goods. She is also a fellow at the Center for Global Development and has served as an advisor to the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
In 2022, TIME magazine included her in its TIME100 Next list, recognizing her as a rising global leader shaping a more sustainable and equitable future. That same year, she launched Kenewendo Advisory, a Gaborone-based consultancy focused on inclusive growth, sustainable policy design, and youth mentorship. She also chairs the Molaya Kgosi Trust, which nurtures women’s leadership across Botswana.
Kenewendo’s leadership reflects a rare blend of competence, humility, and grassroots authenticity. Her path—from a village often overlooked to the halls of global power—is a reminder that transformative leaders do not rise above the people; they rise with them.
In an age overshadowed by performative politics, Bogolo Kenewendo represents something rare and essential: a leader who listens, serves, and leads from where she came—and where change is most needed.
