From Botswana to Kent.

From Botswana to Kent.

‘Made for me’. That’s how graduate Pako Lekoko described her MSc in Business Analytics at Kent. Her aim for Master’s study? To make a mark in the management consulting industry.

Becoming my best self

Ever since moving from her home in Botswana, Pako has taken ambitious strides for her future. After completing a BSc in Actuarial Science at Kent, she decided to stay on for her Master’s: ‘I loved my undergraduate experience so much that I chose to stay at Kent for my postgrad, but knowing that the world is continuously going digital further fuelled my conviction to pursue an MSc in Business Analytics.’

Just like her BSc, Pako’s Master’s ticked all of her boxes, even some that she wasn’t expecting. ‘I feel like the course was created specifically for me because it  catered for how I learn best – practical learning that’s mostly assessed through coursework.’



“My course bought me into a more self-aware, fearless and confident version of myself. I actually became more myself than I’d ever been before!”

Instant success

Pako found success only three months after she submitted her Master’s dissertation: she revived and rebranded an old business to form Zaidi, a coaching service for university students; founded The Runway, a mentorship programme for people embarking on study in the UK; and was headhunted by a management consulting firm in Botswana: ‘In less than six months, I went from being a junior consultant to a senior member of the team and blazed a new trail by leading the creation of a new service.’

Yet, like so many Kent graduates, she hasn’t put any of her ambition on ice. Now Executive Director of Zaidi, Pako has also been selected to join the Young African TradeExperettes (YATEs) Fellowship – a network of women trade experts from around the world. Using their expertise in the industry, Pako and her Fellow peers are now putting a spotlight on the current challenges in trade policy.