BA ISAGO: A giant in private education

BA ISAGO University founder Odirile Gabasiane holds nothing back when discussing the route his institution is taking – building strong partnerships with the Global South. He insists they have conquered nationally and regionally and are now aiming to be among the best globally, as he rolls out the red carpet for a delegation from Serbia.  

At tertiary level, nothing projected Gabasiane as a future entrepreneur. “He had the figure, eloquence and stature at the time of a future politician,” declared his tertiary school classmate Professor Richard Tabulawa, adding that they did not tolerate a poorly prepared lecturer.

“We took on lecturers. No lecturer came to our lessons without being fully prepared,” he said.

Both men have since become giants in education – one as an education entrepreneur and the other as an academic and administrative giant. They met on Tuesday when Professor Tabulawa, now Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, was part of the ministry delegation touring Gabasiane’s institution – BA ISAGO University.

Gabasiane’s charm, grit, eloquence and extreme passion for what he does shone through as he welcomed them to his institution. 2026 is the 25th anniversary of his institution, which he proudly calls ‘the country’s leading entrepreneurial university’.

Holding a Bachelor of Arts in History and English and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Botswana, Gabasiane’s path to opening the school was paved through the experience he gained as a teacher and subsequently an Education Attache first in London, UK [1990 – 1997] and then Pretoria, South Africa [1997 – 1999]. He opened BA ISAGO Institute in 1999.

Gabasiane, with his wife Ruth Tshetsana Gabasiane, and two other citizen shareholders,  established BA ISAGO University College in Francistown in 2002 . The Institution later expanded by opening a branch Campus in Gaborone between 2005 – 2011 and eventually moved to its own purpose-built Campus in Peolwane (Block 7) in 2012.

It is to this place, which is so well-developed that it is a venue of choice for big corporate events, that Gabasiane welcomes Minister Prince Maele, who confirms his admiration for the area’s beautiful well-kept gardens.

Tribute to Mogae  

In a strong tribute to former President Festus Mogae, BA ISAGO University Managing Director Odirile Gabasiane called for a moment of silence on Tuesday morning at the institution’s Gaborone campus, where he welcomed the Ministry of Higher Education delegation.

To him, former President Mogae was the game changer in private tertiary education provision. “A bold and daring man; In 2006, he took a big decision to have the Government sponsor children in private tertiary education,“ he said, declaring that BA ISAGO has grown in leaps and bounds since then, with this year marking their 25th years’ anniversary.

The Minister of Higher Education, Prince Maele led a strong delegation from his ministry on a tour of the school as part of ongoing visits to local tertiary institutions.

Gabasiane praised the minister for doing what no other minister has ever done. “No minister has ever taken a tour of every local tertiary institution,” he said, encouraging the entourage to celebrate with them their 25th anniversary.

Entrepreneurial university

He described his institution as the country’s leading entrepreneurial university. “When the shareholders of BA ISAGO first came together, our vision was clear: to establish an Institution that does not merely graduate students but develops the human resources our economy actively demands. Over the years, our Shareholders and Directors have invested heavily in infrastructure, technology, and talent. We have consistently aligned our growth with Botswana’s national strategic plans, transitioning from a Specialised College into a Comprehensive Entrepreneurial Private University.

Our contribution to human resource development is evidently visible in every sector of our economy, from accounting firms and corporate boardrooms to public service offices, financial services sector, the Built Environment and so on. We view our investment as a social economic, and patriotic duty to ensure that Botswana achieves a knowledge-based economy, especially in the context of the fiercely global competitive economic and human capital environments,” he said, adding that they do not replicate courses offered elsewhere locally, but offer exclusive well-designed programmes that have ensured that graduates from the institution are preferred by employers.

“We recognise that our academic offerings must directly address the pillars of the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP). As a private sector tertiary education institution, we understand that BETP is a “delivery architecture” meant to transform Botswana into a high-income, digitally enabled, and diversified economy. Our curriculum is no longer just about passing exams; it is about measurable capability. We are actively embedding practical industry software, real-world tools, and hands-on vocational modules directly into our programmes. By doing this, we ensure that BA ISAGO graduates do not face the systemic skills mismatches that stall employment. Instead, they emerge as market-ready professionals, fully equipped to drive the “Big, Fast Inevitable, Results” our nation needs,” he said.

Minister Maele impressed

The Minister did not hold back in praising the leadership of BA ISAGO University for running a magnificent institution, with relevant high-quality programmes.

“In Ba Isago we have found a strong strategic partner,” declared the minister, wilfully assuring the school leadership that he would avail his time to attend the school’s 25 anniversary celebrations when the time comes.

He said they are going around to evaluate tertiary schools, in particular, to ensure that they are getting their value for money.

“There are those schools that take themselves to be universities while they are not at the level of Ba Isago. We are so excited to be here. In Ba Isago we have found a strategic partner. As you know, seeing is believing – having come here has opened my eyes fully to the great work you are doing. I will now comfortably engage other ministers from the region in our meetings about the importance of sending their students to this institution,“ Minister Maele declared.

Responding to Gabasiane’s suggestion that Government should not set up another regulator to oversee TVET, the minister assured that they have decided such a directorate will be established under the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).

Gabasiane had highlighted BA ISAGO University’s TVET alignment. “Our curriculum is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift to ensure it is strictly outcome-based, deeply TVET-relevant, and tightly aligned with the country’s strategic goals. We recognize that our academic offerings must directly address the pillars of the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP),” he said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, Professor Richard Tabulawa declared:  “Money doesn’t care about a political system – it only matters where one can maximise profit. We can attract foreign direct investment (FDI) through the skills set that we have. We are integrating entrepreneurship into the curriculum and are under pressure to infuse agility because as soon as a programme is listed for review, by the time it is approved, some of it will be obsolete”.

South – South Partnership  

Just as he bids farewell to the minister, he has a picture moment with the school’s SRC, respectfully prefacing their names with ‘honourable’. Yet another meeting awaits him –  with the visiting delegation from Serbia’s ISIC AfroLife represented by Professor Branko Cavric, Filip Draganovic and Srdjan Bogetic.

BA ISAGO boasts of 350 employees, with 146 of them as academic staff and 35 of them holding PhDs. Of the PhD holders, 23 were assisted by BA ISAGO to qualify. In addition to the P240 million state-of-the-art Gaborone campus, BA ISAGO operates in Maun and Francistown.