How Linah Mohohlo Championed Botswana’s Economic Transformation

Linah Kelebogile Mohohlo is a Botswana banker whose exploits in the country’s financial sector cuts across the private and public sectors. Linah served as the Governor of the Bank of Botswana between 1999 and 2016.

In 2002, she was appointed Eminent Person by the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan and was charged with the responsibility of supervising the evaluation of the UN New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. 

Her economic influence further increased when she was selected to join the Commission for Africa – a body set up by the United Kingdom to draw the attention of the international community to Africa’s needs of development aid, fair trade, and debt relief.

She is also a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP) consisting of ten distinguished personalities, whose charge is to campaign for fair and sustainable growth in Africa at the highest levels. As a member of the panel, she encourages the creation of coalitions to harness and broker expertise and brings together decision-makers to influence African policy for a lasting change.

https://atomic-temporary-203083154.wpcomstaging.com//2020/12/08/elsie-kanzas-journey-in-making-africa-the-worlds-biggest-single-market/

Linah Mohohlo worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a Special Appointee, representing the Africa Group 1 Constituency, which comprises 21 Sub-Saharan African countries.

In May 2015, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her as member of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, an initiative aimed at preparing recommendations for the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit.

Linah has published several papers and book chapters in economics, finance and investment, reserves management and governance.

In July 2017, She was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Tlou Energy Limited, the AIM and ASX listed company focused on delivering power in Botswana and southern Africa through the development of Coal Bed Methane (CBM).

Linah has received several national and international awards such as, Presidential Order of Honour. The Financial Times magazine The Banker and Euromoney have both recognised her as Africa’s Central Bank Governor of the year.

To read the rest of this profile and other insightful exclusives like this, click here to subscribe to our magazine.