She didn't come from money.
She came from mission.
Every founder has a reason. Here's mine.
A global pandemic. A master's degree.
A grant that changed everything.
Here is the thing nobody talks about honestly. When the world stopped in 2020 and most people froze, I made a decision that would define everything that came after. I enrolled in an Executive Master's in Entrepreneurship at the University of Botswana, while managing a consulting business, running an NGO, and raising my daughter as a single mother. No support structure. No gap year. Just a decision to use the chaos as a classroom.
The programme was rigorous and I treated it that way. I graduated with a 4.1 GPA, not because academic performance was the goal, but because I apply that same standard to everything I build. That same year, I received the Tony Elumelu Foundation grant. Not luck. Years of preparation meeting the right moment.
What the masters gave me was not a credential to put on a wall. It gave me a validated framework for the pattern recognition I had already been developing in the field: why some businesses scale and others plateau, why certain markets respond to certain strategies, and how to build infrastructure that survives the founder stepping back. That formal rigour, layered over 8 years of real-world delivery, is the combination you get when you work with me.
"Working with a major international EdTech company as their local representative taught me my north star: I could be the bridge between African talent and international opportunity. That is still exactly what I do."
Great results don't come from
one good month.
There is something the consulting industry rarely says out loud. Strategy without consistency is just expensive advice. The clients who get the most transformative results are not the ones with the biggest budgets. They are the ones who show up, do the work repeatedly, and trust the process long enough for it to compound.
I invest in the relationship, not just the deliverable
I take a small number of engagements deliberately. Not because of capacity, but because the best outcomes come from a consultant who genuinely knows your business, your market, your team dynamics, and your blind spots. That depth takes time and it is worth building.
Repetition is not redundancy. It is how traction works.
Brand positioning does not land after one campaign. Revenue systems do not convert after one funnel. Authority is not built in a week. The founders who see the biggest results are those who commit to the strategy and run it long enough for the market to respond. I will tell you this upfront so we start aligned.
I need you to be willing to do the work too
The best engagements are partnerships, not handoffs. I bring the strategy, the systems, and the execution. But I need a client who shows up to calls prepared, makes decisions, and trusts the process. If you want someone to take all responsibility off your plate entirely, I am probably not the right fit. If you want a strategic partner who is all in when you are, I am exactly that.
Trust is the infrastructure everything else is built on
I have walked away from clients who paid well but operated in bad faith. I have ended contracts where the working relationship had degraded to the point where good work was no longer possible. This is not a warning. It is a standard. When we work together, you get my full commitment. I ask for honesty and mutual respect in return.
Ask yourself honestly: have you been doing the right things consistently for long enough, or have you been switching strategies every time results were slow to come? If it is the latter, that is exactly what we fix together.
Take the Free 2026 Growth AuditThe hard-won truths behind
every strategy I build.
Boundaries Are Business Strategy
Negotiation, self-advocacy, and getting things in writing are not soft skills, they are survival skills. Vet people. Set terms. Don't discount your fees. A client who haggles on price will almost always be a client from hell.
Your Business Doesn't Grow Until You Do
Personal development, mindset mastery, and proactively applying what you've learned are the real keys. There are rules in business, and additional rules that uniquely impact Black African women. Mastering both is great leadership.
Entrepreneurship Is Deeply Spiritual
Those who get it will understand what I mean. Align with people who share your mindset. Build communities with them. Lean on your Higher Power. Invest in the practices that make the journey meaningful.
"There is a new world being built and we are part of it. Let no one limit you, or trick you into limiting yourself."
Monica Dube-Sekhwela
The strategist founders call when growth gets serious.
Monica is a strategic marketing and business growth consultant supporting African founders, particularly women-led businesses, and global organisations entering Africa. She works across borders, navigating pan-African expansion and international market entry with equal fluency.
With deep operational knowledge of Botswana and Southern African markets, she advises B2B and B2C founders expanding through AfCFTA opportunities and regional market entry. Her proprietary GLIDE Framework moves founders beyond tactics into sustainable, strategic execution.
She works in fractional and advisory capacities, focused sprints and longer-term retainers, with founders and organisations ready to scale with structure, not just hustle.
What leaders say.
Real words from people who've worked alongside her. Click names to connect.
Her mentorship didn't just teach me; it empowered me. Monica is incredibly patient, kind, and genuinely invested in seeing you get better. She pushed me just enough to step outside my comfort zone without feeling overwhelmed.
Monica consistently demonstrates professionalism, proactiveness, and strong leadership skills. Her passion for empowering women and adding value to any environment she joins truly sets her apart. She would be an asset to any team.
Monica's insights on business strategy, user research, and translating data into actionable decisions were invaluable. She is not only highly knowledgeable but patient, supportive, and always willing to challenge me to think critically.
Core Competencies
8+ years of outcomes across African and global markets, validated and consistent.
Strategic Marketing & Growth Planning
End-to-end growth strategy anchored in your actual market context.
Cross-Border & Pan-African Expansion
Navigate AfCFTA and regional market entry from the inside.
Go-To-Market Strategy
Structured GTM plans that move from ready to revenue.
Fractional CMO Advisory
C-suite marketing leadership without the full-time overhead.
Africa Market Entry for Global Clients
Local depth and strategic rigour for investors and diaspora founders entering the continent.
Operational Readiness for Scale
Systems that let your business grow without breaking its founder.
Systems-Led Business Growth
Strategy that keeps working when you log off.
Southern Africa Market Intelligence
Deep knowledge of Botswana and regional market dynamics.
Who I work with.
I don't work with everyone. I work with the right people.
Revenue-Generating or Funded
Generating $50K+ annually or have committed funding. You've proven something works. Now you need to scale it properly.
Expanding Cross-Border or Entering Africa
Whether you are an African founder entering new territories or an international investor, diaspora entrepreneur, or global organisation entering the continent, you need someone who knows the terrain.
Clear 6 to 18 Month Growth Objectives
Decision-making authority and defined goals. You're ready to move, not still figuring out what direction looks like.
Ready to Invest in Strategy, Not Just Execution
You know the difference between hiring someone to post content and investing in a partner who builds the system that makes it convert.
Committed to Showing Up Consistently
You understand that results compound over time. You are not looking for a magic fix. You want a real strategy partner who will be honest with you, hold you accountable, and do the work alongside you.
Building for Sustainable Scale
Done with the hustle era. You want structure that compounds. Industries served include agriculture, agritech, edtech, skincare and beauty, fashion, professional services, hospitality, travel, coaching, social enterprise, and more.
How to work with me.
Simple. Structured. No guessing, no wasted time.
Book a Strategy Call
A focused conversation about where you are, where you're going, and what's in the way. No pitch. Just an honest diagnostic of your growth situation.
Schedule on CalendlyGrowth Infrastructure Audit
Structured audit across 7 critical pillars. You receive your Infrastructure Maturity Score, top 3 priority gaps with specific next actions, and an estimated ROI impact.
Tailored Engagement Proposal
A tailored proposal, sprint or retainer, with scope, outcomes, investment, and timeline. No generic packages. Everything built around your specific situation.
Structured Execution Begins
Clear milestones, defined deliverables, a reporting rhythm. No disappearing consultants. You are the decision-maker. I am the architect and executor. We move together.
Ready to stop being the only person holding everything together?
The next chapter of African business belongs to founders who build proper infrastructure today, not those waiting for perfect conditions that are never coming. And it belongs to the international investors and diaspora founders who move into the continent with the right guide, not a generic playbook.
I work with a select number of founders and organisations each quarter. If you have traction and are ready to invest in systems that compound, let's talk.
Are you doing the right things consistently, or are you still looking for the one tactic that will finally change everything? Let's have that honest conversation.
Reach Monica Directly
Currently accepting select Q1 2026 engagements · Gaborone, Botswana