05 Oct 2014

Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) is looking for investment partners who can help address some challenges faced by the country, BDC managing director, Mr Bashi Galetsaloe has said.

Speaking at the Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) gala dinner on October 4, Mr Gaetsaloe said since the National Development Plan (NDP) one up to three, Botswana’s challenge had been diversification.

He noted that although agriculture was used to diversify the economy from having diamonds as the sole revenue earner, the industry still had potential. Mr Gaetsaloe said with the country’s economy moving towards a post-diamond economy era, there was need to intensively explore other industries to replace the revenue stream.

He noted that Botswana, with its small population, still relied on South Africa to meet 90 per cent demand of her milk, a thing that he said BDC would gladly partner with investors who could address the challenge.

Mr Gaetsoloe said other potential business opportunities that could be explored were the use of solar to generate electricity for the country. Earlier in her welcome remarks, the second city’s deputy mayor, Ms Joyce Ndove appealed to entrepreneurs to support each in ensuring that their businesses succeeded.

Ms Ndove said they should ensure that successful businesses were not only about profit making but also about creation of job opportunities. Cllr Ndove said by creating job opportunities, entrepreneurs reduced citizen dependency on government handouts.

She explained that when there were few people who depended on government, more infrastructure developments could be done.  BOCCIM’s director of business development, Ms Zoe Isaacs thanked the sponsors of the BOCCIM Northern Region Fair, which was held in May.

Ms Isaacs also introduced the new BOCCIM manager, Mr Kebaabetswe Bogatsu to the northern entrepreneurs. Ends