31 May 2020

A leading local manufacturer and supplier, Flo-Tek has expressed its satisfaction about their positioning in the country, saying it has enabled them to penetrate the Southern African market.

The managing director of Flo-Tek, which manufactures and  supplies pipes, fittings, tanks and irrigation products, Mr Vijay Naik said the country’s manufacturing sector was well positioned to supply the Southern African market.

 “Botswana is a place where manufacturing is possible,” he said recently, when addressing Ramotswa legislator and Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Lefoko Moagi and his entourage during a visit to the company’s warehouse in Taung.

 Mr Naik said they produce for the Southern African market, added that there was still more that the government could do to support citizen businesses.

 He said although government had reiterated its stance on supporting local products and services, locally produced goods were not given a chance.

 Mr Naik said even where they were supported they had to lobby to get their products used by procuring entities.

He regretted that despite Flo-Tek quality products, Botswana continued to import the same products, which defeated all intentions of growing the local market.

 Mr Naik added that with the necessary support, the companies could grow and increase their workforce in the country.

For his part, Minister Moagi said the government was looking into doing things better to support local businesses, adding that even policy shift would be considered.

 He said evidence showed that previous efforts of supporting local businesses were not enough, hence the need for change.

 Mr Moagi further assured Flo-Tek of all the necessary support from the South East District leadership.

 With headquarters in Botswana, Flo-Tek has its footprints in South Africa, Angola and Namibia and also distributes and exports to other countries such as Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.   Ends