29 Nov 2016

The chief executive officer of Proudly South Africa, Mr Eustace Mashimbye says Buy Botswana should influence both the private and public sector to procure local products.

Mr Mashimbye made the remarks during the Buy Botswana Thought Leadership Expo in Gaborone.

He said producers and manufacturers should produce high quality products and services so that they could increase their exports and minimise imports.

He said as Proudly South Africa, they ensured that the producers and manufactures were practicing fair labour and provide local content.

“We provide consumer education on economic benefits to the public and the private sector,” said Mashimbye.

 He added that they have developed a database of their local products and services and that they have partnered with law enforcement agencies on preventing illegal imports and dumping of unsafe products.

Mr Mashimbye further said they ran their campaigns through online advertising, billboards, TV advertising, mall advertising, exhibitions and youth education campaigns.

He highlighted that investing in manufacturing was important because it could create sustainable additional jobs.

He encouraged participants to have national pride and to be patriotic on the products and services produced locally.

Mashimbye also said the government should continue to take a lead in funding the buy local movement and ensure the country’s broadcasting corporation becomes a strategic partner and member of the campaign.

For his part, the general manager of PPC Botswana, Mr Werner De Beer said their key theme was to create employment, import taxation bill, economic diversification and foreign direct investment.

He said their company manufactures, packages and distributes in Botswana and upskill their employees so that they could be able to perform well. He further said P4 million was invested to set up their plant in Botswana.

The event organisers expressed interest in making the Buy Botswana Thought Leadership Expo an annual event. ENDS