Entrepreneurship Zone: 12 March 2025 : Botswana: Doctor-turned-entrepreneur eyes stock exchange listing

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Entrepreneurship Zone: 12 March 2025 : Botswana: Doctor-turned-entrepreneur
eyes stock exchange listing

 


 

 


 <https://www.firstcapitalbank.co.zw/> 

 


 

 


 

 



Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane

Interview with Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane
FOUNDER, KALAFHI MEDICAL CENTER

Lives in: Gaborone, Botswana

  _____  

Founded in 2018 as a single clinic with just one employee – its founder, Dr
Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane – Botswana-based Kalafhi Medical Center has
since grown into a diversified healthcare business. Today, it runs a day
hospital, five clinics, and pharmacies, while also offering physiotherapy,
dental care, and aesthetic services. Mongwa-Mouwane now has her sights set
on an even bigger milestone: taking the company public on the Botswana Stock
Exchange.

How we made it in Africa editor-in-chief Jaco Maritz spoke to her about the
journey of building Kalafhi Medical Center and the lessons learned along the
way.

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Topics discussed during the interview include:

·         Working 16-hour shifts during the early days of the business

·         Avoiding unnecessary expenses on décor or extras

·         Challenges in scaling the business

·         Botswana’s potential as a medical tourism hub

·         Her views on Botswana’s economy

Watch the full interview below: (only available on howwemadeitinafrica.com)




Interview summary


When Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane set out to start her own medical
business, she had few examples to follow, particularly as a young Motswana
woman in her twenties. “I wouldn’t say I had any role models,” she says.

Mongwa-Mouwane earned her medical degree from the University of Botswana in
2014 and by the end of 2015 completed her internship at two public
healthcare facilities. The following year, she was tasked with managing a
rural clinic in Phitshane Molopo as the most senior member of staff – an
experience she credits with developing her leadership skills.

But her ambition was to start her own business.

She resigned from her government post to gain experience in the private
sector. To build her expertise, she took a full-time job at a private clinic
in the capital Gaborone while also working part-time at a hospital. “I was
working two jobs at the time … I would do 12 hours of work at the clinic and
then leave the clinic, go to the hospital and do some locum work.”

Taking the leap into private practice

The first step toward opening her own clinic was obtaining a private
practice licence. But even after securing it, she was uncertain. “I didn’t
feel like I was ready … But something in me just told me, you know, just go
for it.”

Then in 2018, she took the leap and opened Kalafhi Medical Center clinic in
Gaborone.

Mongwa-Mouwane deliberately kept costs low in the beginning. For the first
eight months, she ran the clinic alone, operating from a modest and
affordable location. Using her savings, she purchased the initial furniture
and equipment, avoiding unnecessary expenses on décor or extras.

“It was very, very important for me to keep costs low … Even in picking a
location … I went with the one that I went with because it was quite modest
in terms of size and it was quite affordable.”

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to start with what they have,
rather than waiting for ideal conditions. She explains that many people
never start because they want everything to be perfect. However, securing
financing as a startup is difficult, and investors are unlikely to back a
business without traction. “If you want to start the way that you envision
it, you’ll never be able to start and it will completely paralyse you,” she
says. However, once a business is up and running, it becomes easier to gain
support. “The most important thing is to start.”

Kalafhi Medical Center set itself apart by offering extended operating
hours – 8 a.m. to midnight, every day.

Securing a steady client base and cash flow was challenging at first, but
the business broke even within seven months.



Kalafhi Medical Center’s new day hospital

Expanding the business

With the business on stable footing, Mongwa-Mouwane began expanding. A
second location soon followed. “Something that doesn’t grow can only die,”
she says.

The company then diversified, opening pharmacies and adding dental and
physiotherapy services. Today, it operates five clinics – four in Gaborone
and one in a rural village outside the capital. More recently, Kalafhi
launched a day hospital in Gaborone, designed as a ‘smart hospital’
incorporating technology to streamline patient care and reduce costs.

As the business grew, managing people became more complex. “I was actually
having that conversation yesterday with somebody, and we were joking saying
that Elon Musk should already hurry up with the robots because dealing with
people is so challenging.”

Clear communication, along with well-defined roles and expectations, is
essential to managing people, she says. Equally important, she adds, is
having all processes and policies written down.

Mongwa-Mouwane’s husband, Barolong, is also involved in the business. She
explains that while she focuses on the medical side, his primary role is in
business development.

“Most of our conversations are business. It’s our lives. It’s what we live
and breathe all the time. But there are times where we separate the
business. I have kids as well … there are times where we spend time as a
family as well,” she says.

Botswana – a medical tourism hub?

Mongwa-Mouwane believes Botswana has the potential to position itself as a
regional medical tourism hub. The country’s central location, stable
political climate, low crime rate, and relatively affordable healthcare
services could attract patients from neighbouring countries.

“People are looking for a place where they can find high-quality care at an
affordable cost. And if we really focus on that, we should start seeing
clients from across our borders,” she notes.

She says Kalafhi’s recently established day hospital positions the company
to tap into the medical tourism market. “Once the hospital is fully
operational and we are fully servicing in terms of all the specialities,
then we will see clients from the outside.”

Regional growth plans

Beyond expanding within Botswana, Mongwa-Mouwane is also exploring
opportunities in neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Namibia.

She says the ultimate goal is to list the company on the Botswana Stock
Exchange. The company has begun preparing for a potential listing by
refining its business structure and participating in mentorship programmes
aimed at achieving this goal.

—Howwemadeitinafrica

 

 


 


 


 

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