Rooted in Science, Driven by Impact: Thee Naturals BioTech’s Bet on Indigenous Innovation

At SWEAT Africa 2026, amid conversations about scaling deep tech and building globally competitive biotech ventures, Kedumetse Bertinah Seru brought the discussion back to first principles: solve the right problem. As founder of Thee Naturals BioTech, she is building a company grounded in indigenous knowledge, scientific rigour, and a clear-eyed understanding of Africa’s public health realities. For her, innovation is not about chasing trends – it is about measurable impact.

Kedumetse feels SWEAT Africa arrived at exactly the right time. “There is never a better time in the year to reflect and set informed goals than at the beginning of the year,” she says. The festival brought together talent from across the continent to share what they are building, where they are struggling, and how they are navigating the biotech landscape.

She describes the gathering as unexpectedly consultative – a space where founders, scientists, and ecosystem builders openly shared what they were working on, what had stalled, and where the real friction points lie in African biotech. Hearing peers from across the continent speak about regulatory bottlenecks, funding gaps, and market realities reinforced a key insight: building biotech in Africa requires contextual intelligence as much as technical capability.

“It made me appreciate that building a venture in biotech does not only require resources,” she explains. “It requires understanding the biotech space in our continent.” That understanding, she believes, is what enables founders to create innovations aligned with continental needs rather than imported priorities.

She also valued the diversity at SWEAT – not only geographically, but in experience. From early-stage founders to established operators, the conversations were grounded in practice. There was a sense of collectively tracking the ecosystem’s evolution. For her, that visibility is critical. “It signals that African biotech is not isolated efforts scattered across borders, but a developing community.”

 Solving Problems That Matter

Kedumetse is deliberate about what qualifies as meaningful innovation. “Anything can easily be a problem; anything can easily be a profitable solution to an easy problem,” she explains. “But the magnitude of the problem and its public health impact is what makes it the right problem.”

This principle underpins Thee Naturals BioTech’s mission: improving human well-being through indigenous knowledge and biotechnology, with an emphasis on research, sustainability and organic materials. The company aligns its work with global priorities such as the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being – but its starting point is local relevance.

Its current innovation emerged from a growing concern: rising obesity rates and poor eating habits, combined with widespread struggles around cravings and portion control. Existing appetite suppressants are often artificial, costly or ineffective.

Thee Naturals BioTech’s response is an organic appetite suppressant shake derived from Hoodia gordonii, an indigenous plant known for its appetite-suppressing properties. By applying scientific validation to traditional knowledge, the company seeks to offer a natural, evidence-based alternative that speaks both to African contexts and global markets.

Wearing Multiple Hats

Kedumetse’s days are split between entrepreneurship and science. Alongside running her startup, she serves as a Laboratory Scientist at the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership. Much of her time is spent on science, product development and strategic operations.

The dual roles reinforce one another. Her laboratory work keeps her close to cutting-edge research, while her startup pushes her to translate knowledge into practical solutions. “I am always striving for quality products through continued research,” she says, “and staying up to date with solutions worth incorporating into my venture.”

Her path into science began early. As a child, she would confidently declare that she wanted to be a scientist – long before she fully understood what that entailed. A natural strength in biology steered her into Biological Sciences and Biotechnology. But rather than remain solely in academia or industry, she chose entrepreneurship to create tangible solutions to real-world problems. “I am more inclined to creating solutions that contribute to the betterment of humanity,” she says.

 Moving With Urgency

Balancing scientific validation with commercial realities requires agility. Kedumetse sums up her approach in three words: innovation, agility and fluidity.

“The world is moving so fast,” she says. In science, breakthroughs and crises alike can emerge overnight. The same urgency applies to ventures: identify a relevant need, move quickly to address it, and ensure the solution is commercially sustainable.

The challenges are real. In Botswana, biotech is still an emerging sector. Funding constraints and regulatory hurdles remain significant barriers. “A startup is just as sensitive as a newborn baby,” she reflects. “It requires extra care to move from one stage to another.”

To navigate this landscape, she leans on community, mentorship and exposure to funding opportunities. She has also identified a broader mission: advocating for biotechnology in her country, raising awareness about its potential to address healthcare challenges and contribute to economic growth.

Africa’s Opportunity

Looking ahead, Kedumetse sees immense opportunity for biotech and deep tech across Africa – particularly in AI-driven healthcare solutions and the responsible use of indigenous biodiversity. Many countries face persistent challenges in diagnostics and disease surveillance due to limited resources. At the same time, Africa’s rich biological resources remain under-utilised.

For Thee Naturals BioTech, the next 12 months are about progress through regulatory barriers. In five years, success would mean presence in multiple global markets, measurable returns on investment, expanded operations and a seat at policy-making tables – helping shape the very frameworks that once slowed progress.

Thee Naturals BioTech is still early in its journey, navigating regulatory and funding constraints in a young ecosystem. But its direction is deliberate. By combining research, local biodiversity and commercial discipline, Kedumetse is positioning her company not just as a product developer, but as part of a broader shift – one in which African biotech ventures define their own priorities, set their own standards and build solutions anchored in the continent’s real needs.