A group of New Era College students were recently crowned winners of the 2025 ACEB Future Leaders Engineering Competition. The competition brought together bright young minds from engineering institutions across Botswana to design innovative solutions that address the country’s real-world challenges.
Representing New Era College, Corren One Gaotlhobogwe, Tshepo Aidan Balebetse, Bofelo Ndolo, and Motheo Exhaviour Dira impressed judges and participants alike with their groundbreaking project titled “Smart Livestock Tracking and Management System (LTMS).”
The team’s innovative idea directly supports Vision 2036’s Sustainable Economic Development Pillar, addressing persistent issues in Botswana’s livestock industry such as theft, loss during grazing, and inefficient monitoring. The LTMS uses GPS, accelerometers, and wireless communication technology to provide farmers with real-time updates on livestock location and movement. The system is solar-powered, cost-effective, and designed to be safe, durable, and easy to maintain, making it especially valuable for rural farmers.
Judges praised the New Era College team for their project’s practical impact, technical design, and potential for scalability. The system not only enhances livestock security but also promotes sustainable agricultural practices through the integration of renewable energy and smart technology.
In their presentation, the students outlined future plans to expand the LTMS into a comprehensive farm management tool incorporating animal health monitoring sensors and AI-driven farmer training tools, reinforcing the innovation’s relevance for the country’s drive toward sustainable and tech-enabled farming.
The College aims to support the students through the Research Department and explore ways to modify their product and have their intellectual property registered.
At the heart of this success lies New Era College’s commitment to nurturing innovators and problem solvers. Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world engineering challenges, the College equips students with the creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills needed to design solutions that respond to Botswana’s development priorities.