22 May 2019

Botswana is said to be one of the best destinations for mining and processing investment.

Speaking during  the third Annual Mining Investment Botswana on May 21, a legal adviser for Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), Mr Tefo Bogosi said there was a wide selection of mineral deposits awaiting exploitation and a predictive legislation that ensured ease of doing business.

Mr Bogosi pointed out that though Botswana was known as a diamond country, it was blessed with several mineral resources and deposits, adding that there were also gold, silver, copper, nickel, coal, uranium, salt and soda ash.

He also said there was mining legislation to make mining safe and secure, adding that the nine main statutory instruments that regulated mining included the Mine and Minerals Act, Explosive Act, Mines Quarries, Works and Machinery Act, Precious and

Semi-Precious Stones Act, Diamond Cutting Act, Export and Import of rough diamonds regulations.

Mr Bogosi said the mining and business environments in Botswana were regarded as safe, secure, certain and orderly.

He said the country was the gateway to a huge export market through preferential access to the entire Southern African Development Community market of over 293 million people.

He encouraged institutional investors, miners and industry business leaders to invest in mining in Botswana as there was duty free access to Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states, including yet another duty-free and quota-free access to the European Union markets.

The conference was a forum for the global mining community and brought together participants from 15 countries to exhibit and demonstrate the latest technology and solution innovations to mining industry buyers.

The two-day conference would also be used expand connections, launch new products and forge new business partnerships. ENDS