Dimension Data Botswana aims higher

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday March 18, 2013 00:00

The company's General Manager Duncan Pie revealed this as they celebrated their 20 years of operation in Botswana at the Phakalane Golf Estate last Thursday.

Pie said they have made significant achievements since opening business in Botswana two decades ago and aspire to continue delivering first class ICT services to the country.

He said they have been committed to their clients in delivery of great ICT service. Among the projects that the company prides itself over is the Trans Kalahari fibre network system that connected different parts of Botswana. 

They were also involved in the upgrading of the system a couple of years back to enable the country to benefit from Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and the WACS (West Africa Cable System).

 The two are undersea fibre optic cable systems connecting countries of eastern and western Africa to the rest of the world.  The company was also contracted for the schools network project, which saw 235 junior and senior secondary schools fitted with network systems that enhanced the learning process.

Pie said the company has also been involved in the mining sector and has made some significant contributions in helping the industry prosper.

He further said in the future, they aim to expand their service offerings in Botswana, as they are now the number one Microsoft partners in the country.  He said they want to accelerate and increase the level of investment in the society. Last year the company had seven graduates joining them in a one-year development programme.

Pie said they also intend to have a greater participation and support of government ICT policy and be among the stakeholders in the Botswana Innovation Hub.

The company's Managing Executive for Africa Rakesh Parbhoo said they are thankful for their partners and clients in Botswana for having been there for  the past two decades.

He said Botswana is among the company's key markets, having been the first to be opened after starting operation in South Africa three decades back. The company now has footprints in 51 countries globally employing over 16,000 people.

Dimension Data Botswana started with only 12 employees but now has a staff complement of over 50, most of whom are Batswana. He said Botswana has set a model to Africa in terms of incubating and growing of the ICT services specifically designed for Africa.

Giving a keynote address, Minister of Transport and Communications Nonofo Molefi congratulated the company for the great work it has done in improving the ICT sector.

He highlighted the Trans Kalahari fibre network as among the outstanding projects delivered by the company.  He said his Ministry would engage in an ambitious project of e-governance in the NDP 10 and expects companies like Dimension Data to deliver their skills and services for the project to be successfully completed.