Mogakolodi Mogotsi Koketso
Mogape Solutions, Owner, 2012
Associate Degree in Information Technology
All successful people have is persistence. He has taken this philosophy to heart, emerging as one of LEAP’s many success stories in the process.
30 November 2012
Soaring high
Written by Thato Moruti
Meet Mogakolodi Mogotsi Koketso, a young man from Botswana who founded his own IT company—Mogape Solutions—that specializes in hardware and software support, applications development, network support and retail.
He is one of the many class of 2010 graduates of the Botswana campus fired with a spirit of enterprise. It is this spirit that fuels his desire to create opportunities for himself, rather than wait for them to come his way.
Leap of confidence
For Koketso, it was a giant leap forward with industry skills acquired from the Limkokwing Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (LEAP) that has enabled him to take his rightful place in the mainstream of his country’s economic development.
LEAP is an intensive incubation programme undertaken by students in the final year of their associate degree programmes at the Botswana campus. It is LEAP that has enabled Koketso’s seamless transition from classroom to industry.
LEAP provides the students with a dynamic learning experience and enables them to develop entrepreneurial skills to succeed in business. Students are taught to explore and recognise business opportunities as well as gauging the risks and potential profitability of a business undertaking.
LEAP’s track record speaks for itself. It has consistently transformed graduates into industry-savvy professionals capable of handling real-world setbacks and instilled them with knowledge vital for facing the challenges of new job markets. They also pick up other character-developing attributes such as strategic creative thinking, leadership and teamwork.
Branching out
Armed with the skills and knowledge gained from LEAP, Koketso also manages an affiliate business through his company called Gako’s Compcell. This small outfit currently employs four people and sells computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, hard disks and cables.
“The company is new in the market; therefore, we expect some jobs from individuals and companies due to our affordable prices for our products and our efficiency in delivering services.”
Koketso has bags of confidence and dares to dream big. He believes that in the near future, his company will be servicing well-known companies and organizations with the Kasane Youth Centre, Town Council and Land Board among his targets.
Well-groomed and business-savvy, as befitting his status as an up-and-coming socialite, Koketso believes that a common trait “all successful people have is persistence.” He has taken this philosophy to heart, emerging as one of LEAP’s many success stories in the process. He is also confident that his Associate Degree in Information Technology earned at Limkokwing University will prove invaluable in driving his future success in the new Botswana.
He owes his current success to LEAP, a programme that has changed his life forever.
Business smarts
Through the business management skills that he acquired at Limkokwing, Koketso has come up with a lay-by payment structure that gives his customers the option of paying their fees over a six-month period. He believes that giving his clients more flexibility when it comes to payments will make his products and services more appealing, especially for a new business. He hopes that this lay-by option will give him an edge over competitors and widen his customer base.
National collaboration
The Chobe Entrepreneurs Association is a local business network based in the northern district of Botswana. It looks at business opportunities in the area and gives new businesses a platform to express their concerns and find smart solutions to their problems.
“We are active members of the Chobe Entrepreneurs Association and being the chair man of this association has enabled us to market our services and network with other businesses that sit at this forum.”
Koketso also enjoys a good relationship with suppliers. His company’s positive credit status means he can often negotiate for favourable trade deals, giving him plenty of options for the future. His target is to eventually reach all his business associates, especially new businesses, and provide them with all the solutions as far as IT can reach.
Koketso believes that there is a very positive relationship between people’s ability to accomplish any task and the time they are willing to spend on it. This is the reason why he is willing to spend long hours working on a task; he believes his perseverance will allow him to overcome many difficult odds.
Mogakolodi Mogotsi Koketso is aiming high. One day, he hopes to build his business into an empire that stands out from the rest in Botswana.
