28 Aug 2018

Botswana Consumer Fair provides an interactive forum for exhibitors while enabling manufacturers, wholesalers and traders to market their products directly to the consumer.

Giving a keynote address on August 27 at the official opening of the 13^th edition of Botswana Consumer Fair on behalf of Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo, the chief executive officer of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Mr Keletsositse Olebile said the fair would go a long way in improving domestic linkages as well as promoting networks locally and internationally.

 Mr Olebile said as an investment and trade agency, BITC was supportive of the efforts by Fairgrounds Holdings to host the event. He noted that Botswana was a signatory to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade protocol and other market access agreements whose aim was to assist in broadening the scope of the country’s domestic market.

 He noted that the Consumer Fair provided the much needed market access opportunities for Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) as well as larger corporates which dovetailed with the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry’s apex model of increasing SMME participation, export growth and investment attraction.

He added that it would also go a long way in increasing local productive capacity.

Mr Olebile said the benefits of the fair to exhibitors and consumers could not be overemphasised as trade and knowledge would be shared during the fair. He also added that the fair would give consumers an opportunity to enquire about the process of production of what they purchased as the theme suggests: Is more than just shopping.

“It is an opportunity for producers to market their wares and for aspiring entrepreneurs to acquire as much knowledge as they could possibly have, and it is my hope that this fair is not only growing in the exhibitions but also in the quality of the goods and services that are on display,” he said.

He noted that in 2017, the fair attracted over 500 exhibitors from Lesotho, Zambia, Swaziland, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Japan, India, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, adding that it was an indication that the fair was growing in popularity and stature.

Mr Olebile said improved quality and increased variety of wares increased the interest of the visitors and made them look forward to returning the following year.

For her part, the chief executive officer of Fairgrounds Holdings, Ms Gorata Gabaraane said the consumer fair had earned its stripes over the years as a premier world class business event, which was considered “a go to event” in the national calendar of events.

Ms Gabaraane said their quest was to be pioneers and catalysts in the sector, adding that it was a goal that went beyond enabling business growth and was to position Botswana as a viable destination for conferences and exhibitions. She also stated that the consumer fair was a flagship event for Fairground Holdings and provided a significant platform for small and medium enterprises from different sectors of the economy to showcase and promote their products and services while also establishing long-term business linkages.

Giving a vote of thanks, the acting chairperson of the board of directors at Fairground Holdings, Ms Ruth Mphathi said the wheel started moving months ago and that it required planning as well as meticulous attention to detail.  She added that the consumer fair  was driven by a motivated, knowledgeable, result oriented and dedicated team.

She also thanked exhibitors for their continued participation and support, saying without them, there would be no fair. ENDS