BUILDING AN EMPIRE
Armed with a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional qualification from Botswana Accountancy College (BAC), Keith Shatho Maposa hit the ground running upon graduation, sniffing books as an external auditor in industries such as construction, auto repair and financial services.
For over five years, he immersed himself into accounting and it seemed like that was all he’d ever do, that is until the Information and Technology bug bit, leading him to form his own company, MISEC Botswana, in 2019 which specialises in video surveillance products and services, renewable energy products and audio visual solutions. The 31-yearold Sebina native has raised his hand to be a key player in the country’s digitisation strategy.
As Managing Director of MISEC Botswana, what do your daily duties include?
They include developing and executing business strategies s to achieve short and longterm goals, providing market insights and strategic advice, developing and implementing business plans to improve costefficiency. My duties also involve maintaining positive e and trust-based relations with ith business partners, authorities, rities, and clients, and overseeing the company’s business operations, financial performance, investments, and ventures, just to mention a few.
What did you do before becoming an entrepreneur?
I started off my career as an external auditor and circled through different industries as an accounts officer, internal auditor and later moved back to audit as an assistant audit manager. I then proceeded to a role as operations and administration manager, which was a very broad role, which helped spark my interest in IT and entrepreneurship. Some of the companies I worked for over a five-year period include Tariq & Cassim, Lesedi Interiors, Car World and Mmila Fund Administrators.
What services and products are offered by MISEC Botswana?
MISEC is a turnkey technology-based solutions provider focused of provision of security, building automation and renewable systems. Specific product lines include; identity management and electronic access control products and services, video surveillance products and services, smart building (automation) products, renewable energy products, audio visual solutions, time and attendance solutions, vehicle tracking and reporting information technology, infrastructure - including data cabling, telecommunications solutions and information security and IT governance - including cyber security services.
Impressive. Are you a franchise?
MISEC is not a franchise per se, what we have is a strategic relationship with MISEC Group Pty Ltd from whom we derive IP (Internet Protocol) and skills development. This has been an integral part to the growth of MISEC Botswana as our arrangement provides opportunities for our local employees to participate in development and implementation of solutions provided to other big clients in the rest of Africa. The group also provides technical guidance more so in highly specialised requirements, which is a major benefit of the coalition as it addresses the skills gap within this industry in Botswana.
With the products and services you offer, what gap is MISEC Botswana filling in the market?
se g f As MISEC, we are big endorsers of Internet of Things T (IOT), and Botswana still s has a long way to go in terms of digitisation and we intend int to be key contributors in developing develop and optimising IT as a foundation foundatio for provision of security building automation and renewable energy infrastructure nationwide.
Where do you want to see MISEC in the next five years?
We must all understand that five years in technology is a very short time as technology changes frequently. As such, we pride ourselves in that we’ve set a path that will ensure that, in the next five years, MISEC will be the leading technology partner cutting across multiple segments covering corporate, industrial, and domestic sectors.
What sets MISEC apart from other industry players?
This is solely a matter of our differentiated strategy; we offer tailormade client specific solutions to best suit their needs and respective budgets. Our ability to listen and understand a client’s need ensures that we are not just dropping products that will not fulfill the client’s requirements. In most cases, we walk the journey with the customer to ensure that they in turn understand how the prescribed solution will meet their needs. Our relationship with our manufacturers is another benefit to the clients, this ensures that we are not far removed from the manufacturing process and can forecast technology solutions as these are shared with us prior to these going public.
How have Batswana reacted to the services and products offered by MISEC?
Batswana are eager to take up our solutions as the turn-up has been quite impressive considering our population levels as well. A lot more of us are seemingly taking security, home automation renewable solutions a lot more seriously. Our ability to listen to the client requirements has assisted us in establishing our foothold at Setlhoa.
Are there any corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives you are currently engaged in?
Our focus on CSR is on the philanthropic and economic responsibility as we have developed a list of charitable organisations we seek to support through donations; we offer students from various institutions - being BAC, BIUST, University of Botswana and New Era College - attachments necessary for completion of their studies. When these students are attached at MISEC, we give them an opportunity to immerse themselves in technology that would not be necessarily be available at school. These same students are taken into consideration for employment upon completion of their studies.
What keeps you busy when you are not at work?
I’m into farming, so that’s where I head to or just watch sports, mostly tennis, Formula 1, football. I do go to church, too.