Lesego Chombo, a lawyer by training and only 26 years old, has been appointed Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs in Botswana, making her the youngest person to assume such a position in the country. Her multidisciplinary profile - jurist, beauty queen and social activist - has earned her recognition both nationally and internationally.
Chombo came to prominence after being crowned Miss Botswana in 2022 and Miss World Africa in 2024. However, her involvement in social causes precedes pageants: she has worked on initiatives aimed at youth empowerment, legal education in rural areas and combating gender-based violence.
Since taking office, he has focused on youth unemployment, which affects almost a third of Botswana's youth. His proposals include training programmes in digital skills and technology, as well as entrepreneurship projects linked to sustainability and innovation.
Speaking at the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the UN in April 2025, the minister called for a greater role for African youth in the development agenda. "Youth should not only be beneficiaries, but agents of change," she said.
In addition to its institutional work, Chombo runs the "Law Talks" platform, which focuses on providing accessible legal advice to young people and vulnerable communities. The initiative seeks to strengthen civic education and promote equal opportunities from a legal perspective.
Chombo's trajectory symbolises a new generation of African leadership, one that breaks traditional moulds and is committed to an inclusive vision of development. His challenge now will be to consolidate his influence with tangible results that respond to the demands of an increasingly active and demanding youth.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com; @afrika.world