28 Jul 2013

Stalls displayed at the consumer fair portend hope that commerce in Botswana is developing a good base for potential growth.

The Vice President, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe said during the Botswana Consumer Fair prizegiving ceremony on Friday that he was impressed by the exhibitions of local entrepreneurs.

He pointed out that the artistic temperament, talent and innovation of young Batswana was a matter of pride. He also observed that the increasing annual growth of the fair at 3-8 per cent, the number of stalls between 400-500, and local manufacturers at 30 and 15 foreign exhibitors was a good omen for growth.

As Small Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) and the informal sector constituted 35-45 per cent of Botswana’s GDP, their leadership should consider innovative ways of facilitating growth of these sectors. Such facilitation, he said, could take many forms citing relatively lower stall charges to enable them to participate more, saying an increased numbers of local exhibitors and manufacturers would unleash their exposure to competition and sharpen their skills.

Dr Kedikilwe noted that the presence and participation of various embassies unlocks potential for increased inter-trade which could boost local manufacturers with consequent skills development and job creation. As SMME’s develop sound business skills, their growth and sustainability translate into sustainable job creation and product quality, he stated.

The Vice President said product quality translated into greater penetration of local, regional and international markets through avenues such as Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to export textiles and apparel duty free to the United States of America.

He explained that the effect of growth of SMME’s and the informal sector translated into a firm economic base,  increased job creation, meaningful economic diversification, creation of sustainable livelihoods and sustainable  poverty eradication.All this, he said, should translate into and gravitate towards meaningful improvement of the lives of the people of Botswana.

For her part, the chief judge, Mrs Neo Maruapula explained the judging criterion that was applied, stating that the best stand was based on the general layout and attractiveness of the stand, sales and product literature, effectiveness in presenting product and service, corporate image profile and promotion. She said in order to develop their judging skills and deepen their experiences as judges, they underwent training by Exhibitions Association of Southern Africa.

Mrs Maruapula also stated that they had adopted a code of conduct this year (2013) which was part of a strategy  to ensure that exhibition and judging in Botswana is professional.

Fairground Holdings chief executive officer, Mr Mike Montshiwa, said their  target was to increase visitor traffic by at least 10 per  cent so that  brands could be discovered  and explored by a record of 62 000 visitors. ENDS