Young hot shot named Youth Ministry PS
After much umming and ahhing, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Lesego Chombo, has finally named her new Permanent Secretary (PS), settling on accomplished diplomat, Natasha Rampa.
The governance specialist officially assumed office on 20 April, stepping into one of the ministry’s most sensitive administrative positions just days after Parliament unanimously adopted Botswana’s National Youth Policy 2026–2036.
The PS position has been vacant since December when Bridget Poppy John left, with Deputy PS, Thapelo Phuthego stepping up in an ‘acting’ capacity since then.
The ministry says the appointment reflects Chombo’s firm emphasis on ‘consequential management’, a governance approach that demands results, accountability and faster delivery across the public service.
Rampa arrives with an elite academic profile, holding a double-major Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies from Yale, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton.
Before her appointment, she served as Governance Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme, where she led multi-level government cooperation programmes focused on accountability, institutional reform, and youth and gender
inclusion.
Her career includes early diplomatic work within Botswana’s Ministry of International Relations, where she served in Protocol and Consular Services, the Department of Europe and the Americas, and was part of the pioneering team that established Botswana’s mission in Mozambique in 2012.
Beyond the impressive credentials, the appointment is seen as a signal of a ministry increasingly willing to elevate younger professionals into top decision-making roles.
With the Youth Development Act expected in 2027 and implementation of the new Youth Policy now underway, Rampa steps into office under clear pressure to deliver results.
