05 May 2019

Investment, Trade and Industry minister, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo, says the revised national export strategy will drive Botswana towards becoming an export hub.

When launching the strategy on May 2, Ms Kenewendo said it came at the opportune time when Botswana had embarked on various drives to diversify its economy and lead a transformational agenda.

The national export strategy, she indicated, resonated well with the country’s Vision 2036 and NDP 11 which envisioned an export-led economy with diversified products and markets, an economy that was not solely reliant on mineral exports.

Minister Kenewendo said the strategy covering the period from 2019 to 2024 had identified seven priority sectors being leather and leather products, garments and textiles, arts and crafts, jewellery and semi-precious stones, meat and meat products, light manufacturing and indigenous products.

This, she said, was done with the view to expand the product base while also making Botswana more competitive.

She said the efforts were consistent with national priorities as espoused in both Vision 2036 and NDP 11.

Drawing a comparison between the current and past strategies, Ms Kenewendo noted that the 2010 national export strategy focused on competitiveness indicators while the current strategy would be product and market specific.

The minister therefore said she was hopeful that Botswana take advantage of opportunities, at both regional and international levels that had been identified in the strategy.

Further, she expressed optimism that businesses operating in Botswana would also take advantage of the opportunities and also make use of e-commerce and also work with government to develop a digital economy in Botswana to boost the country’s exports.

On export growth, Ms Kenewendo said it was heartening that though still inadequate, some growth in exports had already been registered. 

“We are happy that in between the periods of 2010 and 2016 we have seen growth from P31 billion to P80 billion. However, we remain concerned that this growth has been mainly driven by mineral products,” she indicated.

Mr Sujeevan Perera from the Commonwealth Secretariat, which hand-held Botswana in the process to come up with the strategy, concurred that the strategy had come at a historic time, particularly for the Commonwealth as the organisation had in April celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Mr Perera said the organisation had contributed to efforts to assist member states to, among other things, enhance their prosperity, eradicate poverty and bring about equality among their citizens. 

A private sector representative Ms Lorato Boakgomo-Ntakhwana said the strategy would indeed make Botswana globally competitive by increasing the current levels of exports and growing as well as nurturing new areas with potential to drive export levels.

Ms Boakgomo-Ntakhwana commended government for its foresight and commitment towards creating an enabling environment in which the private sector could thrive. Ends