Tlamelo Makati - Botswana

Tlamelo Makati lives with her parents in a small village called Metsimotlhabe in Botswana. She graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics) at Botswana International University of Science and Technology.

She is an active member of the community-based tech group and the co-organizer of Women in Machine Learning and Data Science (WiMLDS) in Gaborone. She is also a mentor for the Technovation Girls Competitions.

“I am passionate about applying Artificial Intelligence technology to solve agriculture, environment, climate change and healthcare problems in Botswana and Africa,” she says.

This interest is what led me to apply to ADDA. I wanted to further my knowledge in this area of science. From here, I plan to join a project that is incorporating the use drones to control, count and monitor elephant movement in the KAZA region in Bostwana,” she adds.

Tlamelo has now learned how to assemble and fly an s500 drone. She also knows how use GIS technology. She dreams of an Africa with technology, developed by its own people. She believes that exploring all technology, including the manufacturing and use of drones, is necessary for the development of this region.

Being the first woman from Botswana to be accepted to ADDA, Tlamelo plans to start a tech research laboratory that will use 4IR technology like drones to solve local problems and help her community to better understand rules and regulations of using drones.

 “As a feminist and advocate for STEM, my vision is to help underrepresented groups (African people, women, LGBTQ, children and disabled people) get involved in technological developments, especially those that affect them. We need to normalize letting people infected and affected by a problem, to be part of the solution. I envision an Africa with its own technological base, where Africans work together for a better Africa”, concludes Tlamelo.