About DSS
Our History
Desert Secretarial Services Proprietary Limited (“DSS”) is a majority Botswana Citizen owner-managed professional services firm that was first established in 1980 by the late Dave Fricker (who had been managing the Deloitte in-house company secretarial division) and John Stevens (then senior partner of Deloitte). Rob Vinen joined the firm in 2013. John Stevens and Rob Vinen retired from the firm in December 2022, which is now managed by Kopanang Thekiso and Stephen Pezarro.
DSS is a member firm of the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants and comprises a team of 23 professional and clerical staff.
DSS operates a collaborative model through an extensive network of locally and internationally based individuals and firms to ensure our clients have access to the necessary expertise and experience to suit their requirements. DSS has recently concluded an arrangement with Vialto Partners (https://vialtopartners.com/) which is a leading independent provider of payroll and tax advisory services to multinationals with representation across the globe.
In the past 15 years the firm has developed from a pure company secretarial practice to a multi disciplines professional services firm with the following areas of speciality:
Company Secretarial
Company formation, statutory compliance, board support and administration. PPADB, Trade and other licencing
Accounting & Payroll
Accounting, Management Accounting and Financial Statement compilation
Payroll processing and settlement.
Tax Compliance & Advisory
Tax administration including assistance with BURS KYC
Tax Advisory
Corporate Advisory.
Fiduciary & Insolvency
Company formation, statutory compliance, board support and administration. PPADB, Trade and other licencing
Investor Management
Assisting BSE listed clients with their various investor ongoing obligations, AGM assistance and calculation agent duties.
In 2023, DSS concluded an arrangement to offer professional services to the clients of a long-standing firm of company secretaries, Union Provident Trust Proprietary Limited (“UPT”), on the retirement of their founders and operational management.
In December 2023 DSS merged with Corpserve Botswana to acquire 20 years of experience in providing support services to public companies assisting with their investor management obligations.
Our Staff
Directors
Kopanang Thekiso
Stephen Pezarro
Long Serving Staff
Malebogo ‘Lebo’ Masisi
Employed Since: 2005
Alfred Mooketsi
Employed Since: 2008
Nnosang Mosienyane
Employed Since: 2011
Saint Butale
Employed Since: 2012
Ethel Moreeng
Employed Since: 2014
More DSS Staff and Consultants
Anna-Marie Van der Gryp
Atlang Gabankgatlhe
Boitshoko ‘Boi’ Mooketsi
Ffyona Ntsatsi
Kelebogile ‘KT’ Leepile
Kgomotso Kiki Ntema
Lebogang Rampape
Maria Pezarro
Panashe Makurumidze
Ronald Tshwaane
Wendy Lebudi
Ratanang Mozola
Tutu Bakwena
The DSS Promise
Mission: Our mission is to empower our clients, from entrepreneurs to global multinationals, to achieve their goals by delivering exceptional professional services. Characterized by a high level of expertise, professionalism, integrity and ethical standards and innovation we are dedicated to building lasting partnerships, providing strategic guidance, and delivering measurable results that drive success in an ever-evolving business landscape – that is Business Simplified from DSS.
Vision: To be the premier professional services firm (non-assurance) in Botswana, setting standards for excellence and innovation. We aspire to drive client success, contribute to economic development, and leave a lasting positive impact on the business community.
Compliance
DSS is a Specified Party as defined in the Financial Intelligence Act (Act 2 of 2022). As such, DSS is obliged to adopt Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) policies, applying these through a risk-based approach in line with the principles set out by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which have been adopted in Botswana.
At DSS, we strive to uphold the highest standards of regulatory compliance, ensuring our policies and practices align with the evolving requirements in Botswana. This commitment provides our clients with peace of mind and confidence, knowing our services are provided in their best interests and those of Botswana, in line with the country’s undertakings to the FATF.
DSS is dedicated to protecting personal data as mandated by legislation and professional regulations, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal information entrusted to us. By maintaining robust data protection measures, we not only meet regulatory requirements but also uphold the trust and confidence of our clients, ensuring their personal data is handled with the utmost care.
Bound by the professional codes of conduct and ethical standards enforced by the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), DSS ensures a high level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability in all client interactions.
We understand that the process of satisfying these requirements is an administrative burden for clients and we do our utmost to limit the frustration and effort involved by prepopulating the forms as far as possible and assist clients in meeting the KYC requirements of their other business partners and suppliers. We wish to thank our clients for their contribution to supporting the undertakings made by Botswana to the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group – an associate member of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force, representing many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
