Government, UNDP, LNBS and BEDCO try to transform skills, creativity and digital regulations into new opportunities in Africa for the Basotho

For a Mountain village, within the territory of South Africa and far from the major global technological corridors, to talk about innovation and entrepreneurship in Lesotho means addressing a very concrete question: how to transform talent, local culture, digital infrastructure and public policies in productive capacity. The preliminary session convened in the Kingdom of Lesotho with representatives of the government and the United Nations Development Programme It is therefore not just an institutional appointment. It is the signal of a method research: building an ecosystem in which youth, businesses, public media, finance, skills and intellectual property protection can operate within the same perimeter.

The discussion brought together key figures from the Ministries of Information, Communication, Science, Technology and Innovation and Trade, Industry, Enterprise Development and Tourism, along with UNDP representatives. The starting point is clear: Lesotho has a young population, of a strong cultural identity and a growing need for economic opportunities. But these elements alone do not generate innovation. They must be connected by infrastructure, rules, financial instruments and market platforms.

The most interesting dimension of the initiative is precisely this: innovation is not treated as a simple synonym of technology, but as a development organization process. In the lexicon of contemporary industrial policies, it means moving from individual creativity to systemic capacityA start-up, a documentary, a cultural product, a digital service or a micro-enterprise become relevant if they find access channels, economic sustainability models, legal protection and connections with wider supply chains.

Secondo Kanono Ramashamole, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communication, Science, Technology and Innovation,

Effective communication is an essential component of any innovation-driven economy. Within the framework outlined during the session, Lesotho must equip itself with infrastructure and tools that empower young people to experiment, produce content, and transform creative ideas into business opportunities, including through the national public media's open spaces.

The reference to the media is not secondary. Through the Lesotho National Broadcasting Services, the ministry has opened opportunities for young Basotho interested in proposing innovative formats, documentaries and television programsIt's a choice that broadens the traditional scope of entrepreneurship. We're not just talking about manufacturing, commerce, or digital services in the strict sense, but also creative industry, audiovisual production, local storytelling and cultural content. For a small-scale economy, these areas can become laboratories of transferable skills: writing, editing, communications, project management, marketing, copyright, distribution.

A production chain is born from media creativity

The invitation addressed to young entrepreneurs to be unique, not to go overboard with paralyzing analysis and to take reasonable risks intercepts a dynamic typical of emerging ecosystemsWhere capital is scarce and markets are small, risk is not just about initial financing. It is also about the ability to Quickly test an idea, validate it with real users, adapt it to the local context and build trust. In this sense, audiovisual creativity can function as entrepreneurial gym: requires planning, time constraints, technical skills, distribution, and interaction with an audience.

The transition from content to supply chain is crucial. A documentary or a television program can generate work for authors, video makers, technicians, graphic designers, translators, digital communicators and small production companiesThey can also fuel tourism, education, cultural promotion, and civic awareness. If connected to digital tools, this content economy can transcend the geographical limits of a landlocked country and reach diaspora communities, regional partners and international platforms.

However, this perspective should not be interpreted in a celebratory manner. The content market is competitive, fragmented, and often fragile. Without technical training, remuneration models and protection of rights, the risk is that young innovators produce value without being able to retain it. For this reason, the discussion on intellectual property, which emerged during the three-day conference, takes on a structural importance. The government source reports that the participants also addressed the issue of exploitation of innovators and the need for laws capable of governing intellectual property rights.

This is a crucial point for any nascent ecosystem. Intellectual Property It is not just about industrial patents or advanced software. It includes brands, formats, audiovisual works, educational content, design, traditional knowledge and creative solutions. In countries where human capital is abundant but market structures are still consolidating, the protection of rights It can prevent ideas and work from being absorbed by stronger entities without adequate economic recognition.

Trade policies and BEDCO as an operational bridge

Alongside the technological and creative dimension, the session placed emphasis on thebusiness environmentMoshe Mosaase, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, Internal Affairs and Police, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Trade, emphasized the importance of a business-friendly environment. In industry terms, this means: trade policies capable of encouraging local activities, attracting investments and facilitating trade with neighbouring countries.

Secondo Moshe Mosaase,

Lesotho must strengthen an environment in which entrepreneurship can thrive, with more favorable regulations, trade policies geared toward the development of local businesses, and tools that facilitate regional investment and trade. From this perspective, the Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation's programs represent a concrete channel for connecting young people with training, assistance, and operational opportunities in their entrepreneurial journey.

The call to the Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation, BEDCO, is relevant because it introduces the level of execution. Innovation strategies fail when they remain within the rhetoric of digital transformation without translating into help desks, programs, consultancy, access to credit, support and measurement of results. BEDCO, in the interpretation proposed by the government source, is indicated as an instrument through which the government has introduced programs aimed at assisting young people in various aspects of entrepreneurship.

The request for young people to register with the corporation to access opportunities signals a clear direction: formalizeIn countries where the informal economy weighs significantly, formalization is often the first step to transform subsistence activities in growth-capable enterprisesRegistering, accessing public programs, obtaining advice and building a minimum administrative documentation allows you to enter into a relationship with banks, partners, suppliers, institutional clients and international programs.

This does not eliminate the obstacles. Theaccess to finance for start-ups, cited among the key topics of the session, remains one of the most frequent critical issues in emerging markets. Young companies often have few assets to offer as collateral, limited accounting histories, and managerial skills still in development. For this reason, innovation hub, also discussed by the participants, can have a broader function than physical spaces: becoming places of validation, mentorship, connection with investors, training on business models and transfer of skills.

Digital transformation becomes civil infrastructure

The local framework is part of a broader phase of Lesotho's digital policy. In 2025, the government launched the National Digital Transformation Strategy 2024-2030 and a ministerial strategy, presented as tools intended to guide the country towards greater digital maturity over the next five years. The objectives indicated include: improving Internet access, job creation, support for small businesses, and increased accessibility of services such as healthcare and education.

The digital strategy introduces an element of realism: as declared by the government at the time of the launch, half of the population still does not have access to the Internet and adequate digital skillsThis data changes the way we interpret innovation. It's not just about pushing advanced technological start-ups, but about creating the minimum conditions for citizens, schools, businesses and administrations can use digital tools productively. Without connectivity, literacy, and trust, digital entrepreneurship remains an abstract possibility.

The infrastructural dimension is also confirmed by the regulatory evolution of the telecommunications sector. In 2025 the Lesotho Communications Authority granted to Starlink Lesotho a ten-year license to operate a satellite network and provide satellite Internet services in the country. The authority explained that the process required an adjustment to the classification and licensing framework to include low-earth orbit satellite technologies, with public consultations and a complex regulatory process.

For a mountainous territory, the satellite connectivity It could become an important complement to terrestrial networks, especially in more remote areas. But technology alone is not enough. The key industrial challenge is integration: access, costs, literacy, digital public services, cybersecurity, electronic payments, digital identity and the ability of microenterprises to use the internet to sell, purchase, train, and communicate with the administration. The government source on the digital strategy also cites policies for the internet, data security, and technologies, as well as future testing of identity cards and digital certificates.

In this context, the meeting between the government and UNDP takes on a more operational meaning. Digital becomes civil infrastructure, not just technical equipment. It serves to reduce administrative friction, lower the cost of accessing services, make businesses more visible, bring training and the labor market closer together, and protect data and identities. If well coordinated, this trajectory can transform the public communication, broadcasting, youth training and local enterprise into components of the same ecosystem.

Skills, finance, and a hub to scale ideas

The intervention of the UNDP resident representative, Jacqueline Saline Olweya, framed the initiative in the language of sustainable development. According to the government source, Olweya appreciated Lesotho's commitment to exploring innovation and entrepreneurship, reiterating the United Nations Development Programme's willingness to support the country with skills and resources to unlock their potentialThe point is not to replace national action with international assistance, but to use cooperation as local capacity accelerator.

Secondo Jacqueline Saline Olweya, resident representative of theUNDP,

Lesotho's commitment to strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship demonstrates a political will that can be supported with expertise, resources, and partnerships. The challenge at this stage is to transform the country's potential into inclusive pathways, capable of connecting training, access to finance, innovation hubs, and concrete opportunities for young people, women, creatives, and small businesses.

The areas discussed during the session indicate a coherent intervention mapEducation and skills development, access to finance for start-ups, and the creation of innovation hubs. These are three complementary pillars. Skills without capital remain underutilized; capital without skills produces fragile initiatives; hubs without markets risk becoming symbolic places. The quality of public policy will be measured by its ability to to make these elements communicate, avoiding dispersion and duplication.

For Lesotho, the issue of skills is particularly sensitive. Digital transformation requires basic literacy, but also intermediate profilesAudiovisual technicians, junior developers, e-commerce operators, maintenance experts, trainers, small business consultants, communicators, data specialists, and platform administrators. Not everyone needs to become a startup founder. A mature ecosystem also produces skilled employment, professional services and organizational capacity in existing businesses.

Access to finance, however, will probably have to combine different tools: microcredit, guarantees, competitive grants, patient capital, innovative public procurement and partnerships with international entitiesIn small markets, public demand can play a stimulating role, as long as it is transparent and results-oriented. If a young group produces educational content, digital services, or agricultural solutions, public administration can become first customer, testing laboratory or dissemination platform.

Finally, hubs must be designed as interfaces, not like buildingsTheir value depends on the quality of the programs, the selection of projects, the presence of mentors, the connections with businesses and universities, the ability to measure results and the connection with regional networks. For a country surrounded by South Africa, theintegration with nearby markets This could become an advantage: small Basotho teams could develop services, content, and skills for a broader demand, provided they can compete on quality, reliability, and price.

The path outlined by the session remains initial, and the government source itself presents it as a preliminary stage. Its importance, however, lies in the convergence of themesCommunication, public media, trade policies, BEDCO, UNDP, skills, finance, innovation hubs, and intellectual property are not separate chapters. They are parts of the same development architectureIf Lesotho can transform this architecture into verifiable programs, innovation can move beyond the aspirational dimension and become a concrete lever for business, employment and modernization of services.

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