Economist, Political Leader [Botswana]

Peggy Onkutlwile Serame is an accomplished economist and public servant who served as the Minister of Finance for the Republic of Botswana from April 16, 2021, to December 2024. Before this role, she was the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry from November 2019 to April 2021 and briefly served as Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President from September to November 2019. Her career in public service also includes her tenure as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry from January 2015 to November 2019. She founded the Peggy Serame Foundation.

Ms. Serame holds a master’s degree in economics and a bachelor of arts in economics and statistics. She has held several senior positions in the public sector, including Director for Macroeconomic Policy at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Economic Diversification Drive at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In 2007, she gained international experience at the World Bank in Washington, DC, through the Voice Secondment Program.

Her contributions extend to governance, where she has represented the Botswana Government on the boards of key institutions, including the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Botswana Development Corporation (BDC), and the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA).

Throughout her career, Ms. Serame has remained dedicated to driving Botswana’s economic development and transformation, with the goal of improving the lives of its citizens. Beyond her professional achievements, she is actively involved in humanitarian initiatives, focusing on empowering youth, young women, and the girl child.

Peggy Onkutlwile Serame’s leadership and commitment to economic growth and social progress have established her as a significant figure in Botswana’s public and economic sectors.