What's Happening

Our 2026 Digital Fabrication Training Programme officially started  with the first group of participants from Botswana College of Engineering and Technology_officialDigital fabrication gives innovators the opportunity to move beyond “I have an idea” to: “Let me build it.”Over the coming weeks, participants will learn, experiment, create and prototype and we can't wait to see what comes out of the UniPod FabLab! Watch this space!! Something is being made. Open to students & early-career professionals from ALL disciplines! Win a chance to attend the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin this November! Venue: UB LIBRARY AUDITORIUM Date: 10 September 2026 Deadline: 24 August 2026 Apply now: https://falling-walls.com/lab/apply

Today, MDIHub  in collaboration with UniPod brought the VR School Discovery Programme to Ledumang Senior Secondary School.The day began with an introduction to Virtual Reality: how it works, how to use it safely, and where it's already transforming industries around the worldOpen to students & early-career professionals from ALL disciplines! Win a chance to attend the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin this November! Venue: UB LIBRARY AUDITORIUM Date: 10 September 2026 Deadline: 24 August 2026 Apply now: https://falling-walls.com/lab/apply

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬? 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐏 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 & 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧.Open to students & early-career professionals from ALL disciplines! Win a chance to attend the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin this November! Venue: UB LIBRARY AUDITORIUM Date: 10 September 2026 Deadline: 24 August 2026 Apply now: https://falling-walls.com/lab/apply

Open to students & early-career professionals from ALL disciplines! Win a chance to attend the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale in Berlin this November! Venue: UB LIBRARY AUDITORIUM Date: 10 September 2026 Deadline: 24 August 2026 Apply now: https://falling-walls.com/lab/apply

The Ideas Test Lab Programme was officially launched on 16 June 2026 at UniPod Botswana, University of Botswana, bringing together academia, development partners, innovators, and government leaders to advance Botswana's innovation ecosystem.

From Botswana to Eswatini, the UniPod vision is expanding grounded in proven success, innovation, and sustainability. This mission is more than a visit; it’s a strategic step toward creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem that empowers institutions, entrepreneurs, and industry alike.

Industry Leaders. Innovators. Changemakers. Architects of Botswana's Future.The University of Botswana Alumni Symposium 2026 brought together some of the nation's most accomplished alumni from finance, healthcare, law, entrepreneurship, and other strategic sectors to explore how alumni excellence can drive national transformation.

UniPod Botswana is excited to announce the official launch of the Development and Piloting of the Digital Skills and Entrepreneurship Trainer Programme for Unemployed Graduates in Botswana a bold and transformative initiative aimed at increasing the digital skills, entrepreneurial competence, and competitiveness of unemployed young graduates across Botswana.

From Botswana to Eswatini, the UniPod vision is expanding grounded in proven success, innovation, and sustainability. This mission is more than a visit; it’s a strategic step toward creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem that empowers institutions, entrepreneurs, and industry alike.

On the 23rd of February, the Minister of Higher Education, Honourable Prince Maele, the University of Botswana Executive Management, and the United Nations Resident Representative and her team took a tour of Botswana’s first UniPod at the University of Botswana.

The visit highlighted UniPod Botswana’s role as a pioneering innovation hub transforming ideas into impactful solutions.Innovators showcased groundbreaking projects addressing health, agriculture, education, and sustainability...

Explore the Future of Finance at UniPod Botswana’s Public Lecture on FinTech Disruptions in the Financial Sector!

Join FNB Botswana Chief Information Officer, Moses McGeoff, as he unpacks how financial technologies are transforming the industry and shaping tomorrow’s digital economy.

Register now by scanning the QR code on the poster.

See you there!

Bridging Campuses: Mafikeng Innovation Hub Joins UniPod in Groundbreaking Augmented Reality Project

From the 18th to the 20th of February 2026, UniPod Botswana had the privilege of hosting a dynamic team of software developers and virtual reality innovators from the Mafikeng Innovation Hub for a landmark collaboration.

Strengthening National Innovation Through Strategic Research and Development Collaboration

UniPod Botswana was honoured to host a high-level engagement session bringing together academia, defence research, and innovation leadership united by a shared vision of advancing technology-driven solutions for Botswana's future.

On the 7th of February, the UniPod hosted a Masterclass which featured Mr Joe Kin vi who shared his entrepreneurial journey, reflecting on his background, early struggles with accessing funding, and the key principles that guided his transition into investing. Drawing from his experience at Stripe and Paystack, he also spoke about founding Borderless and building investment infrastructure for the African Diaspora.

On the 4th of February 2026, Innovators and ecosystem stakeholders convened under the MASA Innovation Programme to share insights, provide feedback, and strengthen innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Botswana.

The session was facilitated by Ms Irene Grzybowski, Dr Marwan Hassoun from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mr Patrick Dichabeng, Prof Richie Moalosi, the Director of UniPod Botswana and UniPod staff. Prof Moalosi underscored the strong institutional support for innovation and entrepreneurship as a viable way to address youth unemployment.Strengthening National Innovation Through Strategic Research and Development Collaboration

After 6 weeks of innovation, creativity, and hands-on learning, our Digital Fabrication Training Programme has officially come to a close. From the first COHORT to the final TRAINING, every participant pushed boundaries, embraced challenges, and proved that the future of making belongs to bold thinkers and doers.

This isn’t the end, it is the beginning of new ideas, new ventures, and new possibilities.Congratulations to all our trainees for their dedication and brilliance. You are the makers of tomorrow!

Over the past 6 weeks, we have partnered with University of Botswana through UniPod Botswana and UNDP Botswana to deliver an impactful Business Financial Literacy, Programme aimed at strengthening the financial management skills of entrepreneurs.Yesterday, we hosted the final training session, marking the completion of a truly insightful, practical and empowering journey.

This session included a quiz and an elevator pitch mock session for the entrepreneurs in the program. A huge thank you to our partners as we look ahead, we aim to have more collaborations like these, which underscore our purpose: Botswana is our home, we drive her growth, and we are committed to supporting our entrepreneurs. Congratulations to all the entrepreneurs who committed their time and energy to this initiative! We hope to see you accomplish even bigger things in the future.

The Digital Fabrication Program 2025 has officially started at the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD)!

‍The much-anticipated Digital Fabrication Program officially commenced today, 14th October 2025

.Delivered in collaboration with Orange Digital Center, the inaugural sessions - Introduction to 3D Modelling and Basics of Electronics, provided innovators with engaging, hands-on learning experiences designed to spark creativity and enhance technical skills.

The Business Financial Literacy Program continues to make an impact as UniPod Botswana, in partnership with Stanbic Bank through Stanbic bank accelerate, equips pre-startups and startups with essential financial literacy skills.

Today marks the beginning of a transformative journey for 35 early-stage startups under the UniPod Botswana incubator. From now until December, these entrepreneurs will dive deep into the Business Financial Literacy Program—a hands-on, mindset-shifting initiative designed to equip them with the tools to decode financial statements, forecast cash flows, and build resilient financial models that attract investors and withstand uncertainty.

Shared from UNDP Botswana's Page

Today, UniPod Botswana and Startup Lab Africasigned a landmark agreement to launch the #GoToMarketAcceleration Program, a bold initiative designed to empower pre-startups in Botswana with minimum viable products, providing them with the mentorship, structure, and confidence to scale sustainably.

Shared from UNDP Botswana's Page

The Japanese Embassy paid a courtesy visit to UniPod Botswana, where Director Professor Richie Moalosi gave them a guided tour and shared insights into how the Pod supports innovators. The visit reaffirmed commitment to strengthening collaboration with the UniPod and the Embassy and exploring future partnerships between the University of Botswana and  Japan. As Japan looks to expand it's private sector footprint in Africa, this engagement paves way for potential collaborations across academia, innovation, and industry.

The Head of the Ethics Team from the Office of Research and Development at the University of Botswana recently visited UniPod Botswana . The Director of UniPod, Professor Moalosi welcomed the delegation and provided an insightful overview of the facility. The visit included a tour of the laboratories, where attendees had the opportunity to engage with the innovative projects currently incubated. Professor Moalosi also highlighted the diverse programs offered at UniPod Botswana, emphasizing the vital role of ethics in the innovation process. He expressed sincere appreciation to those willing to mentor innovators on ethical practices, underscoring the importance of such guidance in promoting responsible and impactful development.

Got a breakthrough idea?  Showcase your big idea at Falling Walls Lab and stand a chance to win a trip to Berlin!  Click here to apply
Deadline: 15th September 2025