- Tsaone Segaetsho
Private sector association and employers’ bloc, Business Botswana, is this Friday hosting a Gala Dinner at the Royal Aria Convention Centre in Tlokweng, Gaborone.
This year’s annual event includes a major celebration to bid farewell to retired CEO Norman Moleele, who left the association on 31 October 2025. He will be honoured for being the organisation’s longest-serving leader, having worked there for 35 years and rising through the ranks from Field Officer to CEO.
According to the organisation, Moleele has been instrumental in driving Business Botswana’s mandate and advancing private sector growth. “His strategic leadership and advocacy have left a lasting legacy within the organisation and the broader business community,” Business Botswana said in a recent statement.
In his extensive career with Business Botswana, Moleele began as a Field Officer, later becoming a Regional Manager. He was then elevated to the role of Deputy Executive Director before taking on other pivotal positions.
He also served as Membership Management Director before becoming Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP) Director on secondment. This eventually catapulted him to the role of CEO, where his leadership abilities were recognised and he was described as being “instrumental in advocating for the private sector, driving economic development, and shaping the business landscape in Botswana.”
One of Moleele’s iconic achievements was the formation of the Northern Trade Fair in 1994 while he was based at the Francistown Regional Office. Over the years, Business Botswana has kept the city vibrant with the Northern Trade Fair, Moleele’s monumental 31-year legacy, even during periods when the city was said to be becoming gloomy or turning into a “ghost city”. It has remained the biggest event in Botswana’s second city.
Moleele also participated in numerous national and international forums, including the International Labour Conference and the World Summit for Social Development.
Head of Policy and Research, Mpaphi Tsholofelo, was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 November 2025.
The Business Botswana Annual Gala Dinner 2025 will be graced by celebrated South African innovative entrepreneur-turned-businessman, Talifhani Banks, CEO of Analytics X. Banks, who will deliver a keynote address on Friday, is an award-winning entrepreneur, having received the BRICS Young Entrepreneur of the Year accolade. His company, Analytics X, is a dynamic tech group spanning data engineering, IoT, e-learning, logistics, and fintech. Banks is also the founder of Spaza Market, a digital marketplace integrating food delivery, groceries, e-commerce, and fintech services.
He is the creator of Spaza Pay, a fintech solution transforming medium enterprises into micro-financial hubs that drive financial inclusion and economic growth. Some of Banks’ awards include Africa’s Best Tech CEO and South Africa Entrepreneur of the Year.
