The objective of the Tshipidi Mentorship Program (TMP) is to provide practical training to potential issuers through a comprehensive and interactive program that covers the key themes necessary to position a company to list on the BSE. The program is administered by the experts within the listing ecosystem and seeks to bring the potential issuers closer to the listings advisers, investors and leaders of already listed companies. The inception of this program is largely attributed to the fact that SMEs in Botswana do not operate as corporates across various elements and structures. As such, there is an opportunity within the private sector to assist SMEs to “corporatize” thus preparing them to leverage off platforms such as the Exchange for growth. Therefore, as a strategic initiative, the BSE decided to set up this mentorship program in a bid to assist SMEs to strategize, corporatize and acclimatize in order to list to access equity finance and expand operations. 

The structure of the program entails a thorough needs assessment of each company, practical training offered by industry experts with regards to key elements of corporatization, capital structure and commercial law and training on regulations and governance requirements. Further, advisors in the listings ecosystem provide an overview of their roles in the listings process and provide a high-level orientation on how applicants can prepare for a listing.