09 Sep 2019

Barclays bank of Botswana managing director, Ms Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane has assured farmers in the Ghanzi area of the bank’s support in their endeavour to propel their region to be the hub of beef and horticulture production.

Speaking during ‘cultivating fruitful relationships session’ in Ghanzi recently, Ms Pheko-Moshagane said the bank had incorporated farmer’s challenges in their new strategy as part of their commitment to support farmers.

“During my last visit in your area, particularly during Ghanzi show, I learned your challenges. As we transform from our former parent Barclays Plc to Absa our intensions is to build a true pan African bank that understands the needs of an African in an African way.

 We will have appetite within the right context of Africa to do more business with you and support you accordingly,” she noted. She said they had to make a decision to focus on Ghanzi as a region, especially that it was known for beef production and horticulture.

She said agriculture was one of the key sectors that supported and played a pivotal role in the economy adding that over the years, the bank had invested over P200 million in the sector.

Ms Pheko-Moshagane said interacting with all agricultural customers was essential, as she valued the relationship with their customers such as farmers.

She described farmers as invaluable citizens who nourished families and society.

Ms Pheko-Moshagane said farmers had breathed the life into Ghanzi, compared to how it looked in the past.

”Who would have thought a town that used to be deserted and seen as a desert, few people could have come and turned it around and breathed such life into it, venture into horticulture and make it a success it is today.

We never saw the opportunities that you saw into this town,” she said.

She said she was inspired by technologies and technics employed by some farmers in this area, citing that digital capabilities were being used to a improve life and more convenient.

Acting business banking director, Mr Keletso Setimela said on top of farmers targeted packages which are Agribusiness, SMME and commercial banking, they had introduced enterprise supply chain development link to link the small businesses with large ones. 

“This is one of our flagship projects as we understand that there is value chain created by ecosystem,” he said. ENDS