Kanye Brigade attracts more students

Kanye Brigade, located alongside the scenic Mmakgodumo Dam, has enrolled 171 students and is recording higher interest since the introduction of National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) programmes as well as a raise in stipend. The increase of the monthly stipend for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students from P300 to P2 200 last year August has improved access, dignity, and academic performance across Botswana’s brigades and technical colleges. In an interview, Kanye Brigade Principal, Ms Tshegofatso Tsele attributed the growth to the improved stipend and the introduction of new NCQF-aligned programmes.

He said the programmes were both shorter (12 months) and better aligned with current industry demands than legacy programmes. Ms Tsele said the brigade offered three main courses: Automotive Engineering, Electrical Installation and Maintenance, and Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning. Certificate Level 3 is available in all three courses, while Certificate Level 4 covered Automotive Engineering and Electrical Installation and Maintenance.

She highlighted a surge in applications. Fir instance, in August 2024, before the stipend increase, Kanye Brigade received 1 134 total applications with 242 for Automotive Engineering, 562 for Electrical Installation and Maintenance and 330 for Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning. From the total, only 120 students were selected.

[paywall]

In August 2025, applications jumped to 3 625 with 653 applications for Automotive Engineering, 1 859 for Electrical Installation and Maintenance and 1 123 for Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning. Ms Tsele emphasised the institution’s commitment to inclusive education, providing readers, scribes, and large-print examination papers for three students with special needs currently enrolled. Mr Thebe Laletsang, Student Representative Council (SRC) president and a Level 4 Automotive Engineering student who joined in 2024, described the stipend adjustment as life-changing.

“The ultimate increase of the monthly stipend from P300 to P2 200 has really helped us afford rental, food stuff, and toiletries. It has brought us dignity because it shows that government truly recognises us as TVET students – our stipend now matches that of university students,” he said. He noted that the brigade’s location on the outskirts of Kanye made transportation a major challenge under the old stipend.

“The increment has helped us access the brigade with ease and has reduced our dependence on parents. Before, we relied on side jobs for transport money, which meant spending a lot of time outside school and that created room for failure.” He added that the NCQF programmes are aligned with current market demands, making them ideal for creating employment opportunities. Mr Ntebogang Serame, a Level 3 Automotive Engineering student renting an apartment for P600 per month, said the new allowance has countered the effects of inflation and rising fuel costs.

[/paywall]