GABORONE, Botswana, November 11, 2022/ -- Today, Orange (http://www.Orange.com) is officially opening an Orange Digital Center in Botswana, a one stop place entirely dedicated to the development of digital skills and innovation, attended by the highest political and administrative authorities from Botswana, members of Orange Botswana board and Board members of Orange Middle East and Africa.

Following the footsteps of Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, and Liberia, it is in Botswana that this 12th Orange Digital Center is inaugurated.

Spread over 390 sq. m, it brings together four strategic programs of the Orange group, namely, a coding school, a solidarity FabLab - one of the Orange Foundation's digital manufacturing workshops, and an Orange Fab start-up accelerator, supported by Orange Ventures Middle East and Africa, the investment fund of Orange Group.

All the programs are provided free-of charge and open to everyone. They range from digital training for young people, 90% of which are practical, guidance for project bearers, start-up acceleration, and investment in these.

Working as a network, the Orange Digital Centers allow experiences and expertise to be shared between countries and offer a simple and inclusive approach to improve young people's employability, encourage innovative entrepreneurship and promote the local digital ecosystem.

Officially opened today, the Orange Digital Center in Botswana is completely operational and is fully functional to host several digital training and events. In addition, Orange Botswana, in partnership with universities, will train students for free and roll out Orange Digital Center Clubs, extensions of the Orange Digital Center within some universities in the regions. Thus, it will complement the education system to give as many people as possible access to new technologies and support them in using these technologies to their full extent.

Orange is committed to fulfilling its vision, which is to foster youth employability while supporting sustainable growth and the country's digital transformation agenda. The programme is also built to advance gender equality and inclusion by promoting access for women and girls to ICT jobs.

Through digital technology, this programme focuses on the following sustainable development goals in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: (SDG 4) quality education, (SDG 5) gender equality, (SDG 8) decent work and economic growth, (SDG 9) industry, innovation, and infrastructure, (SDG 10) reduced inequalities and (SDG 17) partnerships for goals.