STAFF WRITER
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Thulaganyo Segokgo has hailed Botswana Post for being a key enabler of economic and social development, bridging the financial divide through new technologies and fostering an inclusive digital economy.
“The world has entered the 4th Industrial revolution, making strides towards a more inclusive global information society by improving transport infrastructure and communications networks. Through the efforts of innovators such as BotswanaPost, communities around the country keep pace with this global trend towards digitisation,” said Segokgo when officiating at the opening of Ntlhantlhe Post Office on October 28, 2021.
He said over the past decade transformation has taken place resulting with automation of grants payment system from a manual voucher-based system to a fully automated biometric system. “To date, BotswanaPost pays over a hundred-and-ten thousand (110 000) beneficiaries per month using state of the art technology that provides real –time customized reports to Local Government,”said Minister Segokgo
The unveiling of Ntlhatlhe Post Office is part of a deliberate strategic action by Botswana Post to refurbish nine (9) and newly built Post Offices to communities nation-wide with a budget of just over P7 million.
Other Post Offices to be upgraded are in Maun, Sikwane, Pandamatenga, Tumasera, Moshupa, and the establishment of new Post Offices in Ramotlabaki, Tatisiding, Rakops and Ntlhantlhe. It is BotswanaPost’s mission to provide affordable convenience through high quality, profitable products, and services.
The past year and a half have tested the company in accomplishing its mission due to the COVID -19 pandemic. As an organisation we have not been exempt from the negative impacts of the pandemic that has plagued our country and the world. From the noted development projects, Sikwane and Ramotlabaki have been completed and handed over to their respective communities.
This Post Office used to operate as a Postal Agency under the Ntlhantlhe VDC. The Ntlhantlhe VDC and other benefactors jointly collaborated with BotswanaPost to build the new Post Office. The opening of this Post Office affords the Ntlhantlhe community and neighbouring villages of Magotlhwane, Kgomokasitwa, Lekgolobotlo and Ranaka access to agency payments and collections services, mail and courier, bill payments and in addition customers will be able to consult about BotswanaPost services through our digital platforms. We also encourage the use of our other available platforms in accessing BotswanaPost products and services, including visiting your nearest BotswanaPost kiosks in Choppies stores and self-service platforms.
Chairman of Botswana Post Board of Directors, Nathan Kgabi said they have launched the Virtual Post Box on July 1st, 2021 to increase service channels for their clients.
“The Virtual Post Box innovative mail product that allows for the use of cell phone numbers as a postal address, increasing our service post office boxes from the legacy 160 000. Before the implementation of this initiative, the number of Batswana we could connect to the rest of the country and the world through Postal Addresses linked to this facility were limited to the number of Postal Boxes available, post-delivery of this new product, the number of locals that can access a postal address through this Post Office are now virtually unlimited. Today’s launch of the new Ntlhantlhe Post Office is a testament to our commitment to BotswanaPost’s mission,” he said.
Botswana Post CEO Cornelius Ramatlhakwane said it had become costly to undertake several Post development projects.
“We seek to create; what unifies our people around a common goal is: We Execute Innovative Excellence. Several Post Office Development projects were costly and unnecessary, as such we decided to test and later fully implement a simple development model with communities,” he said.