Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe encourages SADC countries to collaborate more closely in the PSET sector
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged the South African Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector to adopt best practices from neighbouring countries in the region, particularly in technical and vocational skills training.
This follows the deputy minister's guided tour of two higher education institutions in Botswana, namely Kgatleng Brigade and OODI College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT).
The visit was organised by the Botswana Minister of Higher Education, Hon. Prince Maele, who accompanied Deputy Minister Gondwe as they engaged with students and toured the facilities, observing best practices.
Deputy Minister Gondwe is currently participating in the 11th Pan-Commonwealth Forum (PCF11) in Gaborone, Botswana. The Forum is organised by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in collaboration with the Botswana Ministry of Higher Education.
During the tour of the two higher education institutions in Botswana, Deputy Minister Gondwe was pleased to see how college students can develop their skills in the diamond industry through training programmes and become professional diamond cutters, polishers, and jewellery manufacturers.
"Although we recognise that our contexts differ in scale, with 26 public universities, 50 TVET colleges, and Community Colleges across all nine provinces, we also acknowledge that we face similar challenges as neighbouring countries. Therefore, we can learn from each other about how to overcome some of these issues. I can honestly say that in the short time I have been in Botswana, I have learnt a few lessons, including the importance of establishing strong and impactful partnerships between our state entities and colleges for training and skilling our students,” said Deputy Minister Gondwe.
Like South Africa, Botswana also faces high levels of youth unemployment, and its technical and vocational training institutions are being repositioned as a pathway to producing a skilled youth who can participate in the economy through entrepreneurship.
“We believe, as the ministry of higher education, that we can solve the problem of unemployment through TVETs; that’s why we are promoting the transformation of our TVETs. Another challenge we are facing, which I believe is also prevalent in South Africa, is the issue of skills mismatch. We produce graduates from our technical colleges, and when they go out into the workforce, industry complains they are not fit for purpose. So we need to transform and develop a curriculum that is relevant to what the industry demands,” said Botswana Higher Education Minister, Prince Maele.
During engagements at PCF11, Deputy Minister Gondwe also held productive bilateral meetings with ministers from Mauritius, Eswatini, and Botswana. The countries’ education ministers discussed matters of mutual interest, including the G20 Education Working Group and the upcoming Education Ministerial Meeting scheduled for 20-22 October 2025 in Skukuza, Mpumalanga.
The 11th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning continues until Friday, with Deputy Minister Gondwe and Minister Maele of Botswana participating in a ministerial panel discussion on employability, prior learning, and credentialing for enhanced youth engagement.
Enquiries:
Sipho Stuurman
Cell: 076 965 4880
E-mail: Stuurman.S@dhet.gov.za
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