28 Jul 2016

Kwa Nokeng Oil has officially launched its operations in Pandamatenga.

The 100 per cent citizen owned company has five depots across the country.

When launching Kwa Nokeng Oil on July 27, Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni said the oil industry was dominated by foreign companies, therefore Kwa Nokeng operations were a welcome development.
 He said government was committed to creating an enabling environment for economic development with a view of achieving upliftment of socio-economic status of the people.

“Batswana have now developed enough capacity to be main players of the value chain systems in the petroleum industry,” he said. He therefore thanked Kwa Nokeng Oil for finding Pandamatenga viable for investment and creating employment.

Mr Shamukuni said Kwa Nokeng Oil’s vision placed Botswana as a transport hub linking the Southern African region with a view to promote regional economic integration.

The company’s general manager, Mr Dickson Nyepi said they started their operations in Botswana in the 60s in Machaneng. “The company has since grown and has five depots in various parts of the country at Martins Drift, Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Pandamatenga,” he said.

He said the company employed 250 people, with 99 per cent of them being Batswana.

Kwa Nokeng Oil, he added, now supplied 10 per cent of the national fuel consumption annually with most of its customers being truck drivers.

The company’s main products are diesel and lubricants. “On a busy day we attend to up to 500 trucks,” noted Mr Nyepi. Some of the customers, he said, were Pandamatenga farmers who used a lot of diesel for arable farming.

“We are able to deliver fuel to the farmers within two days of receiving their orders,” he said.

Mr Nyepi added that the company was in the process of building two other depots including one in Tlokweng. Along with opening offices in Pandamatenga, the organisation also added a component of staff housing to the plan.

“The P10 million investment that we have poured over this depot should be an indication that we are here to stay,” he added.

He pleaded with land authorities for more land to expand the capacity of their depot. He also complained of shortage of water in the village and indicated that his company was willing to partner with Water Utilities Corporation to ensure provision of reliable water supply. Ends