How Keolatetse Molly Segwape turned drought challenges into a business opportunity

Keolatetse Molly Segwape, the founder and CEO of LIT Springs (Pty) LTD is a 32-year-old entrepreneur from the small rural village of Sekoma, nestled in Botswana's Mabutsane District. Molly has always been deeply connected to the spirit of entrepreneurship, a passion she inherited from her family. Growing up in a business-oriented household, her family survived through small enterprises and subsistence farming. These early experiences ignited her dream of building something bigger, something that could not only sustain her family but also uplift her community.

In 2023, Keolatetse made her first significant leap into entrepreneurship by applying for funding under the Youth Development Fund programme in Botswana. Her proposal to venture into the male-dominated agricultural sector of cattle production was approved, and she received funding of P99,724.00 (about USD 7,000). With this support, she purchased 14 cows and a bull, laying the foundation for her cattle production business.

Before enrolling in the EntreprenHER programme in May 2024, Keolatetse’s business operations lacked structure. She faced challenges in record-keeping, financial management, and strategic planning, which made it difficult to track her business’s financial health. She was passionate about cattle farming but needed guidance on how to scale her business effectively.

Enrolling in the EntreprenHER programme was a turning point for Keolatetse. She joined the first cohort of women in the Mabutsane District for the Improve Your Business (IYB) training package. Leaving her family behind for a week, she fully immersed herself in the training, which proved to be a transformative experience. Her enthusiasm, curiosity, and willingness to share knowledge with other participants stood out.

One of Keolatetse strengths during the training was her understanding of business processes such as registration, planning, and tendering. She actively shared insights with her peers, earning admiration and respect. At the end of the training, each participant developed an action plan, and Keolatetse committed to improving her record-keeping and costing practices. She also committed to diversifying her business beyond cattle production, and enhancing her cattle breeds by building a vaccination area to improve the health and productivity of her livestock.

Five months after the training Keolatetse had already started implementing her action plan. She purchased record-keeping books and trained her employee to maintain proper records, a practice she had overlooked before. However, she faced challenges in fully implementing her action plan.

In 2024 Botswana was in the grip of a severe drought, and Keolatetse tragically lost two cows despite her best efforts to feed them. The drought also delayed her plans to build the vaccination area, as most of her resources were redirected toward sustaining her remaining livestock.

While grappling with the drought's impact on her cattle production, Keolatetse identified a critical gap in her community—farmers in Sekoma and nearby villages struggled to access animal feeds and farm supplies, which were only available far from their area. Seizing the opportunity, Keolatetse sought financial assistance from her family and took on casual jobs to raise funds for a new venture.

In October 2024 Keolatetse opened Agric Shop, an agriculture supplies shop, in her village. Renting a small space, she began selling animal feeds, seeds, veterinary medicine, small farm tools, and equipment. The shop quickly became a lifeline for local farmers, reducing their operational costs and saving them time.

Keolatetse’s Agric Shop has since grown steadily. She employed a young female assistant and secured tenders to supply seeds to the government’s crop production department for the ploughing season. Her diversification into the agric-supply business not only provided additional income but also ensured she could reinvest profits into her cattle production project. Her vision now includes improving breeding stock and expanding her services, further strengthening her business portfolio.

Reflecting on her journey, Keolatetse credits the EntreprenHER Programme for fuelling her entrepreneurial spirit and providing her with essential skills. She believes that the training helped her adapt and thrive, even during the drought crisis. "If I had not attended the programme, I might have lost all my cattle and given up," she said.

Beyond financial success, Keolatetse is committed to giving back to her community. She advocates for programmes like EntreprenHER to include seed capital to further motivate women entrepreneurs, as access to finance remains a significant challenge. Looking ahead, she envisions scaling her business further, creating more employment opportunities, and continuing to inspire other women in Sekoma and beyond. Her journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the transformative power of entrepreneurship.