MESTECH has marked five years of operations in Lesotho with a renewed focus on digital skills development, industry collaboration and the role of technology in the country’s economic and social development. The technology company commemorated the milestone through a high-level discussion on “ICT for Development (ICT4D) in the Context of Lesotho,” bringing together professionals from industry and academia to examine the opportunities and challenges shaping Lesotho’s digital transformation. 

The anniversary also saw the launch of the MESTECH Coding Fellowship, an initiative aimed at addressing the gap between academic ICT training and the practical skills required in the workplace. Under the programme, 10 young ICT graduates are expected to receive practical training each year in programming, software development and systems integration, supported by mentorship and exposure to real-world technology projects. The initiative comes amid broader discussions about the preparedness of graduates entering an employment environment in which digital competency is becoming increasingly important. 

During the anniversary programme, MESTECH Director Sello Malefane highlighted the gap that can exist between academic knowledge and workplace-ready digital skills. He noted that while graduates may leave institutions with strong theoretical foundations, businesses frequently require practical competencies that enable new employees to contribute within real operating environments. The challenge can be particularly significant for small and medium-sized enterprises, which may have limited capacity to provide extensive post-graduate training. 

The ICT4D discussion placed the issue within a wider national context. Information Systems professional Lerato Mphaka, whose career spans banking, insurance and telecommunications, contributed perspectives on innovation, digital transformation and the importance of equipping young people to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Principal Lecturer at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and ICT4D researcher Hlabeli Batloung also participated, drawing attention to the potential of technology to address structural economic challenges. 

Batloung’s research into cross-border payment interoperability, for example, explores ways of reducing transaction costs and barriers while improving financial inclusion in Lesotho and the wider region. The discussions reflected a broader shift in the role of technology within the country’s development agenda. Digital capability increasingly affects how businesses operate, how people access services, how financial transactions are conducted and how Lesotho participates in regional and global markets. For MESTECH, the launch of the Coding Fellowship places skills development alongside the company’s commercial technology activities as it enters its next phase of growth. 

Five years after its establishment, the company is positioning its next chapter around both the delivery of technology solutions and the development of the human capital required to sustain Lesotho’s growing digital economy.