March 4, 2026
Meet Elder Clement M. Matswagothata, the first General Authority Seventy from Botswana
Post contributed by
Eastin Hartzell
Parents: Bojotilhe J. Matswagothata and Rachel M. April
Education: Bachelor of Philosophy honors from IMM Graduate School of Marketing.
Wife: Novelty Busisiwe Buthelezi
Married: February 28, 2004, Johannesburg South Africa Temple
Children: Three children
Young mission: South Africa Cape Town Mission
Professional career: Automotive industry executive, including leadership roles with Barloworld Motor
Church callings: Area Seventy, Stake president, Bishop, High councilor, Temple ordinance worker
Sustained as General Authority Seventy: April 2025 general conference. He is the first General Authority Seventy from the South African nation of Botswana.
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Early Life, Education, and Family
Clement Mosiame Matswagothata was born on January 8, 1980, in the small village of Middlepits in Botswana. Growing up in southern Africa, he was raised in a Christian environment where belief in God and reverence for scripture were part of everyday life. As a young man, he developed a deep curiosity about whether God still communicates with His children today.1
While reading stories in the Bible about prophets such as Moses, Elijah, and Samuel, he began asking an important question: Does God still speak today? That question would eventually lead him on a personal spiritual search that ultimately brought him to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
As he explored different religious ideas, he often found that discussions about God left him unsatisfied. But when he met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he encountered the message of the Restoration and the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Through prayer and study, he received a personal witness that God the Father and Jesus Christ had appeared to Joseph Smith and that the restored gospel was true.
After joining the Church, he later served a full-time mission in the South Africa Cape Town Mission, where he strengthened his testimony of Jesus Christ and the power of the restored gospel.
In 2004, he married Novelty Busisiwe Buthelezi. Together they have three children.2
Professional Career and Church Service
Alongside his Church service, Elder Matswagothata developed a successful professional career in the automotive industry. Beginning in 2004, he worked with several automobile brands and eventually held important leadership roles, including sales manager, general manager, and country manager for Barloworld Motor.
Throughout the years, he also served in numerous Church leadership positions. His callings included:
Bishop
High councilor
Stake president
Area Seventy
Temple ordinance worker in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple
At the time he was called as a General Authority, he was serving as both a temple ordinance worker and an area self-reliance specialist, helping members strengthen their spiritual and temporal independence.
In April 2025, he was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joining the global leadership of the Church.3
Anchoring Faith in Christ
On March 10, 2026, Elder Matswagothata delivered a devotional address at Brigham Young University–Idaho titled “Anchored in Christ.” In this message, he focused on how disciples of Jesus Christ can remain faithful even when questions or uncertainties arise.
Drawing from his own spiritual journey, he explained that questions are a natural part of faith. However, the danger for disciples is not asking questions but slowly drifting away from Jesus Christ.
He taught that testimony is not perfect knowledge but spiritual understanding given by God through the Holy Ghost. Because of that, disciples can continue to move forward even when they do not yet have every answer.
“Do not let one unanswered question cancel a hundred answered prayers.”
Elder Matswagothata encouraged students to stay anchored in three key ways: staying close to the Savior, seeking truth from trustworthy sources such as prophets and scriptures, and living in ways that invite the Spirit.
He reminded listeners that questions and faith can coexist, but disciples must continue taking “steps of faith” and trust the Lord’s timing for answers.
A Witness from Africa
Reflecting on his life and service, Elder Matswagothata expressed gratitude for the opportunity to testify of Jesus Christ around the world. In his BYU–Idaho message, he described himself as “a simple man from the African continent” who has witnessed the fulfillment of God’s work in the latter days.
His story—from a young man in Botswana searching for a God who still speaks to becoming a General Authority of the Church—stands as an example of faith, revelation, and discipleship.
Through his teachings and ministry, Elder Matswagothata encourages members of the Church to anchor their lives firmly in Jesus Christ and remain faithful even when they encounter questions or uncertainty, reminding all in his BYU–Idaho devotional, “Do not let one unanswered question cancel a hundred answered prayers.”