25 Sep 2019

 Several Botswana organisations forming part of the country’s investment mission to Germany on September 24 have solicited support for different programmes from the German business community.

 Leading the pack was Professor Shalaulani Nsoso Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) who said being a fairly new university, it was banking on strategic partnerships in its bid to grow to world standards.

Presenting to a group of potential German investors, he said the university had ambitious plans to grow and evolve into one of the world's most reputable institutions of learning.

He said for the goals to be reached, the institution needed the support of international investors such as in the area of capacitation which could be realised through staff and student exchanges.

In addition, Prof Nsoso said BUAN aspired to establish a centre of excellence in water technologies for which it required assistance.

Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) head, Mr Alan Boshwaen urged the German business community to consider investing in Botswana’s energy sector, whose potential remained untapped.

He said Botswana was at a stage where it needed to fully explore and exploit opportunities the sector presented.

Mr Boshwaen said with the abundant sunlight the country enjoyed, it would do well to harness opportunities that lay within the solar energy sub-sector.

He said Botswana was therefore  looking for strategic collaborations that would enable it to acquire the latest technologies to tap into the energy sector.

Mr Boshwaen said the country also sought partnerships that would help it in the area of biotechnology advancement.

He assured potential investors that Botswana was intent on becoming an innovation-led economy.

Mr Mpho Koolese of Botswana Fibre Network (BOFINET) said despite the strides Botswana had made in increasing fibre connectivity, the country believed a lot of room still existed for further advancement.

He said as a result, the country aggressively undertakes its plans to achieve higher connectivity levels.

Mr Koolese said although the country had done exceptionally well in cellular phone penetration, it still grappled with low levels of fixed connectivity.

He however said it in Gaborone, all commercial buildings had fibre connectivity.

Business Botswana's Ms Motheo Maje informed the Germans that in Botswana private investments were protected which meant investors had security of tenure on their investments.

Government, she said, was consistently coming up with policies aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the private sector.

The Botswana delegation is in Germany for a week-long mission to sell the country as a premium investment destination.

The foru,  organised by the Botswana embassy in Germany, is biased towards  energy, agriculture, automotive, Information and Communication Technology (ICT and innovation sectors. Ends