03 Mar 2016

Entreprenuers in have been encouraged to conquer the local market before venturing into the international scene. 

Director of Export Development and Promotion at Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Mr Patrick Mosweu, told a workshop in Ghanzi recently that his organisation promoted foreign and domestic investment.

“As a way to diversify the economy, we have to create and cultivate export culture among Batswana,” Mr Mosweu noted.

Export-ready companies, he said, were a priority to BITC. 

Mr Mosweu said there were ways in which they could help companies to showcase their products in a foreign market.

They helped businesses on marketing, exposure and export facilitations.

“We offer trade mission support on cost sharing in the form of, sponsoring exhibition space, arranging one on one meetings with potential buyers and distributors and following up on leads generated in markets,” explained Mosweu.   

Meanwhile, the seminar was attended by different stakeholders to ensure that all involved in trying to diversify the economy were given the much needed information.  

BICT’s role was to assist government to diversify the economy and encourage companies to retain their investment in Botswana.

Manager of strategic and competitiveness, Mr Kabo Sebele, said there were tourism opportunities if Joint Ventures with RAD communities and hunting block concessionaires in Okwa nature camp were exquisitely done. 

Mr Sebele said they provided a platform for businesses to join ventures with companies from outside the country, aiming for skills transfer.

Building a competitive and attractive business environment could also help in imparting and increasing the knowledge Botswana business owners have, continued Sebele.

Another responsibility for BICT is to manage the National Brand; by implementing programmes and initiatives to rally Batswana around a single and common identity as well as to position Botswana internationally as a place to Live, Work and Invest. Ends