Bogolo Joy Kenewendo (1987) is a Motswana economist and politician. She is a global economist with deep expertise in international trade and development, a particular focus on Pan-African development, and a passion for accelerating digitization and innovation across the continent.

 

Brought back to Botswana Parliament this year, she is the incumbent Minister of Minerals and Energy. Until 2019, she served as the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry in Botswana, implementing reforms to improve the ease of doing business, open up both domestic and international markets, and position the country to succeed in the global value chains and the digital economy. During her tenure, she was the youngest Cabinet Minister in Africa and Botswana’s history.

 

In June 2022, Kenewendo was appointed Special Advisor and Africa Director to the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions. She also served as managing director of Kenewendo Advisory and a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development, where she sat on multiple corporate boards. 

 

Kenewendo is also a vocal advocate for gender equity and protecting children’s rights.

She has received global recognition for her work, being appointed as a member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, Senior Africa Advisor to Jack Ma Foundation and Africa Business Heroes, Jury for the FAO Africa Innovation Prize, a member of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and group on Financing for Development, a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Future Council on Global Public Goods in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, WEF Trade Action Group and a WEF Young Global Leader.