The long awaited first ever locally made solar powered prototype car has been launched. The much-anticipated reveal of the car took place at the University of Botswana yesterday, 22 November 2019. The event was graced by the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Hon. Peggy O. Serame, Minister of Tertiary Education Hon.Dr Douglas Letsholathebe, Assistant Minister of MITI Hon. Karabo Socraat Gare and other senior government officials.
The Makeathon which started on Monday this week, was an opportunity for students from different tertiary and technical institutions from across the country to create and design innovative solutions to some of the everyday challenges faced by communities using their engineering skills.
Meanwhile the crowd in attendance could not wait for the historic innovation by the engineering students with the help of the highly trained German Team of experts whose main task was to deliver the solar Powered Car. As the car was revealed, the crowed went into celebratory mode at once appreciating the efforts and abilities of the engineering students.
When giving a preview of Smart Green, the CEO of ITQ GMBH Dr Stetter, said Botswana has an added advantage of abundance of sun light more than any other country therefore there is need to tap into it for business opportunities. He went on to appreciate the highly motivated and skillful team of students who could turn around the fortunes of the locally economy if utilized.
For her part, Minister Serame, said the initiative by the tertiary students, is just the start towards the development of an electronic car, which falls within the national transformation agenda. She applauded the team’s commitment to realize their goal saying they have demonstrated that there is nothing impossible and proved the critics wrong that electric car can be done. She however emphasized the need for Intellectual Property and commercialization of the prototype to promote innovation.
SEZA through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has partnered with the Ministry of Tertiary of Tertiary Education and Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen and Anlagenbau (VDMA) for the success of the makeathon
