FEERS

09/10/2026

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - FEERS DIALOGUE SERIES 3

Joining the conversation in Ramotswa is Ms. Lesego Montsho, Founder & Project Lead of FEERS Energy and an innovator working at the intersection of energy efficiency and technology.

Lesego will speak on “Innovation to Community" covering the FEERS Journey towards Energy Efficiency and sharing how an idea developed into an energy efficiency innovation and why solutions must ultimately reach the communities they are designed to serve.

As FEERS moves the dialogue from research and innovation into the community, her session will reflect on the journey so far and the importance of bringing innovation closer to people.

📍 Ramotswa Customary Court
📅 15 October 2026
⏰ 09:00 AM

08/10/2026

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - FEERS DIALOGUE SERIES 3

Joining the conversation is Ms. Othabile Gwali, Secretary General of the Global Youth Parliament Botswana and Community Liaison & Human Resources Specialist.

Othabile will lead a practical conversation on “From Awareness to Action: Saving Electricity in Our Everyday Lives,” exploring how energy conservation can become part of the everyday choices we make in our homes, workplaces and communities.

Her contribution will help connect the broader conversation around energy efficiency to the realities of everyday electricity use and, importantly, what each of us can do differently. Because energy conservation does not begin with someone else. It begins with us.

📍 Ramotswa Customary Court, Ramotswa, Gamalete
📅 Thursday, 15 October 2026
⏰ 09:00 AM

07/10/2026

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - FEERS DIALOGUE SERIES 3

We are honoured to welcome Mme. Kgosi Mosadi Seboko, Paramount Chief of the Balete Tribe, as the keynote speaker for the third FEERS Energy Efficiency Dialogue.

Under the theme “Why Every Community Has a Role in Energy Conservation,” Kgosi Mosadi Seboko will open the conversation by reflecting on the responsibility and role of communities in conserving electricity and building more responsible energy-use practices.

As FEERS takes the conversation into the community, her participation brings an important leadership perspective to a conversation that concerns all of us.

📍 Ramotswa Customary Court, Ramotswa, Gamalete
📅 Thursday, 15 October 2026
⏰ 09:00 AM

02/10/2026

FEERS Energy Efficiency Dialogue Series II 🎥

What role can innovation play in accelerating energy efficiency?

Held at the University of Botswana, Series II brought together students, young innovators and professionals for a conversation on innovation, energy efficiency, the just energy transition, intellectual property, commercialisation and building solutions that respond to real community needs.

Watch the dialogue and join the conversation.

▶️ Watch and subscribe to FEERS Energy on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/qnuknSScTOk

02/10/2026

FEERS Energy Efficiency Dialogue Series II | Highlights Video

On 26 September 2026, FEERS Energy brought together students, young innovators, engineers, climate and development practitioners, and intellectual property professionals at the University of Botswana for Series II of the FEERS Energy Efficiency Dialogue Series. Under the theme “The Role of Innovation in Accelerating Energy Efficiency,” the dialogue explored what it takes to move from identifying a problem to building solutions that can create real impact.

The session featured a keynote by Lesego Montsho, Founder & Project Lead of FEERS Energy, a Just Energy Transition presentation by Bonolo Segale, and a panel discussion featuring Bonolo Segale, Obuile Morewane and Letlhogonolo Godsave Moremi.

From innovation and energy efficiency to intellectual property, commercialization, policy, community realities and collaboration, the conversation challenged young people to think beyond the classroom and become active contributors to Botswana's energy future.

The full Series II recording is now available on YouTube, in the link below.

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/qnuknSScTOk

Theme: The Role of Innovation in Accelerating Energy EfficiencyHe...

01/10/2026

FEERS Efficiency Dialogue Series II- Just Energy Transition Takeaway 📌

"A Just Energy Transition Must Leave No One Behind" - Ms. Bonolo Segale

What makes an energy transition just? During her presentation at FEERS Dialogue Series II, Bonolo Segale, Climate Policy Specialist, challenged students to look beyond clean energy technologies and consider the people, policies and communities affected by the transition.

Connecting Botswana’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement with the Sustainable Development Goals and Mission 300, she explained that a just energy transition must address energy poverty while ensuring that people acquire the skills needed to participate in a changing economy. She emphasised that the word just matters: marginalised and Indigenous communities must be included in decisions about their energy future, rather than having solutions imposed upon them.

Bonolo challenged students to investigate Botswana’s National Energy Compact and other energy policy documents, assess their relevance to their respective fields and identify implementation gaps. She also urged them to consider whether their current skills would prepare them for opportunities in the emerging green economy. Importantly, she reminded aspiring innovators that developing a technology is not enough. Its impact must be measurable, its benefits must reach the intended communities and its design must reflect the realities of the people it serves.

Her central message was that the energy transition must be people-centred, inclusive and supported by informed young people who are prepared to turn national commitments into practical action.

30/09/2026

Series II Dialogue Panel Discussion Takeaways 📌

"We Cannot Scale What We Cannot See" - Bonolo Segale

Returning to the stage for our panel discussion, Bonolo Segale examined the gap between ambitious policies and their implementation. She emphasised the importance of monitoring, evaluation, assessment and learning, encouraging young people to develop these skills so that they can measure the outcomes of their initiatives and demonstrate their impact.

She also called for greater collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Innovation, she argued, should not be developed in isolated professional spaces or designed exclusively for urban populations. Technologies and policies must respond to the realities of rural and Indigenous communities while incorporating gender-responsive and inclusive approaches.

Bonolo raised an important question about access to information. Botswana participates in major international climate negotiations and policy discussions, including the Bonn climate meetings and COP, yet the knowledge and outcomes of these engagements do not always reach the wider public. When she asked how many students were familiar with the National Energy Compact, the lack of familiarity in the room highlighted the need for stronger public information and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Drawing on her own background in the humanities and social sciences, she encouraged students to remain curious beyond their immediate areas of study and to recognize the value of interdisciplinary thinking. Her advice to young people was to stop waiting for a particular position or perfect circumstances before making a contribution. They will live with the long-term consequences of today’s energy decisions, and their opportunity to help shape a more inclusive future begins now.

29/09/2026

Series II Dialogue Panel Discussion Takeaways 📌

"Build With Communities, Not Just for Them" - Mr. Morewane

Obuile Morewane, Energy Engineer and Founder of Bio-Watt Botswana, brought an entrepreneurial and engineering perspective to our discussion on accelerating energy efficiency through innovation.

He reminded students that while university equips them with technical knowledge, the marketplace teaches an equally important lesson: successful innovation depends on understanding people. Identifying a technical problem is not enough if innovators fail to engage the communities they intend to serve.

To illustrate this, he shared an example of a solar installation in a village where the community had not been adequately consulted. According to the account he shared, residents associated the installation with negative changes in their environment, and the panels were subsequently vandalised. The lesson was clear: communities must be involved from the beginning, and innovators should never assume they understand people's needs without listening to them.

Drawing on Bio-Watt Botswana's experience, Obuile also discussed regulatory barriers to commercialisation. He described how the company encountered difficulties obtaining local certification for an innovative fuel product that did not fit existing product categories, leading it to pursue certification in South Africa. His experience highlighted the need for standards and regulatory frameworks that can accommodate emerging technologies.

Asked whether it was worth building an innovation-driven business in Botswana, Obuile maintained that entrepreneurs should participate in advocating for better policies rather than withdraw when they encounter obstacles.

He encouraged aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs to study Botswana's energy policies, regulatory frameworks and strategic documents, including resources from BERA and BPC. Understanding the country's energy landscape, identifying market needs and formally establishing their businesses would help them participate more effectively in the sector.

His message to young innovators was to stay connected to the communities they serve, understand the regulatory environment and develop solutions that address genuine needs.

29/09/2026

Series II Dialogue Panel Discussion Takeaways 📌

Every Idea Has Value, but Can It Reach the Market? How can young innovators protect their ideas while developing commercially viable solutions? Letlhogonolo Godsave Moremi, Intellectual Property Rights Attorney and Founder of ParkGrey IP, addressed this question during our Series II panel discussion.He reminded students that ideas of different sizes can hold value and that intellectual property plays an important role in rewarding and protecting innovation.

However, he emphasised that innovators must also consider whether their proposed solutions address problems for which there is an identifiable market.Explaining the different layers of intellectual property protection, Moremi discussed the roles of non-disclosure agreements, contracts, patents and utility models. He encouraged innovators to understand which forms of protection are appropriate for their work and how to share sufficient information with potential collaborators or investors without unnecessarily disclosing sensitive technical details.

He also highlighted the importance of commercial certainty when approaching investors. Beyond developing a prototype, innovators need to understand how their inventions create value, whether through their development costs, potential commercial returns or the impact they can generate.His contribution reinforced an important lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs: protecting an innovation and developing its commercial potential should be considered throughout the innovation journey, not only after the prototype has been completed.

29/09/2026

The Series II Dialogue - Keynote Speech Takeaways 📌

"Innovation Begins With a Problem You Cannot Ignore" - Lesego Montsho

At the second FEERS Energy Efficiency Dialogue, our Founder and Project Lead, Lesego Montsho, opened her keynote with a challenge for attendants; that if you had limited resources, a small team and just 12 months, what problem would you solve in Botswana’s energy sector? Participants exchanged ideas with their neighbors before Ndulamo Jefrey and Kgotso Nelson shared their proposed solutions with the audience.

Through this exercise, Lesego demonstrated that innovation does not always begin with sophisticated technology in a laboratory. Sometimes, it begins with noticing a problem that everyone else has become accustomed to. She shared how observing electricity waste at the University of Botswana inspired FEERS and how that observation developed through research, prototyping, intellectual property protection and pilot implementation.

She reminded students that innovation is rarely the straight road portrayed through awards, grants and successful product launches. Behind every milestone are difficult decisions, resistance, setbacks, continuous learning and persistence. An exciting idea is only the beginning; the real work lies in making it useful.

Turning to energy efficiency, Lesego highlighted its importance as the first fuel and the need to prioritise investment in efficiency to manage energy demand, reduce emissions and strengthen energy security. She encouraged students to begin innovating within their universities, regardless of their disciplines, and emphasised that protecting inventions, understanding policy and collaborating across professions are essential to building solutions that can reach the market.

Her closing message was a challenge to young innovators: start where you are, use what you have and take responsibility for the problems you identify. No innovator succeeds alone.