Motswana honoured in Africa’s Under 40 Awards
Dr Lesedi Gaeemelwe was among recipients of the prestigious honour of Africa’s Under 40 CEOs Award in Uganda last month.
Dr Gaeemelwe is a multi-award-winning author of the children's book Little Ngwana Stories, launched in November 2020 thereafter attracting accolades and opportunities to impact children of all types globally.
Mayorkings Agency Group, which holds the Africa Under 40 Awards ceremony annually said Africa’s Under 40 CEOs Awards and Summit is a top-notch Continental Award event and ranking that identifies, showcases, honours and celebrates young Africans who are mostly influential, established and accomplished young business leaders under the age of 40.
Recipients are selected across various industries, people who have demonstrated commitment to business growth, development, professional excellence and community service as well as philanthropy.
Dr Gaeemelwe says the award is confirmation that her business idea is solving a problem.
“This indicates that I should continue with it as it is impacting the world positively,” she said.
Her biggest sales were when the Gauteng Education Department in South Africa approved her book as reading material for school libraries in the academic year 2024/2025, for both the English version and the Setswana translations.
Her book, Little Ngwana Stories was translated to Braille by the Mochudi Resource Centre for the Blind and to Hindi by Bible Society of India and to Setswana by the Bible Society of Botswana. The 39 year-old told The Midweek Sun that her children's fictional story titled 'Stars Draw Near' was also selected to be read at the International Gaborone Book Festival 2022 and is now lined up for Botswana National Online Children's Literary Project by the Mastercard Foundation.
Dr Gaeemelwe is former editor of Colourful Chronicles Magazine, an international online magazine. She is currently Chief Judge at the Botswana Women Achievers Awards and serves as a member of the Youth for Christ Botswana National Board of Directors.
She is the 2023/2024 Image Magazine Global Brand Ambassador. She is the former President of KASAPA Society, and former chairperson of KASA Awards.
Her poetry has been featured in international anthologies including: Earth Poetree 2022, Chronicles from Africa 2022 and African Poetree Collection 2023.
As a public speaker and moderator of note, she has done coaching at the Miss Unified Botswana boot camps. She is a public servant employed as a business subject teacher at Kgale Hill CJSS.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Botswana, a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Botswana, a Master of Business Administration in International Business from AMITY University (India) and a PHD Honoris Causa in Children's Literature from the International Internship University (India) and now a Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) from Prowess University, Delaware, USA.
Her accolades also include AfriCAN Honouree Authors Award 2021, Mulher Forte African Literature Award 2022, PANAFES Excellence Award 2022, Botswana Literature Award 2023, Image Magazine Personality of the Year Award 2023 and Global Brand Ambassador in South Africa and the Africa 40 under 40 Award nominee 2024 in Kenya, as well as the latest Africa's Under 40 Awards Summit Honouree 2024 in Uganda.