22 Oct 2020

In order to achieve food security in the country, government has restricted importation of certain goods and continues to encourage Batswana to buy locally produced goods.

To promote the competitiveness and sustainability of domestic water bottling sector, government had reserved the business activity for citizens.

Such restrictions also include importation of bottled natural and mineral water, implemented through the Control of Goods, Prices and Other Charges Act.

Furthermore, the move aimed to stimulate investment in the sector and help grow the economy thereby leading to job creation and poverty reduction.

The acting director of Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), Ms Malebo Seoke-Hall said during a press briefing recently that they have observed that a number of Batswana became innovative during COVID-19 pandemic and also sought for help from BOBS.

She said despite national campaigns such as # PushaBw to enable Batswana to support local businesses, local entrepreneurs still faced various challenges for survival.

In an attempt to know how locally produced products are surviving in the markets, BOPA interviewed the brains behind some of the locally produced products.

The Founder of Asali Hair Care products, Ms Norma Nlanda said that the growth of small businesses should be supported.

She said Asali Hair Care products started in 2019 and since then Batswana had been supportive towards the business.

“The support from Batswana grow each day that comes and I get compliments from the way Asali packaging looks, down to how the products feel on one’s hair,” she said.

She said that Batswana started by patronising local products, adding that if that was not the case, many businesses would be far. She however thanked Batswana for their continued support.

Furthermore, Ms Nlanda said that government continued to support local businesses. She observed that there were loopholes that were being overlooked.

For instance, she stated every year, registered companies had to pay standard annual returns regardless of the amount of money they had made.

“I think it is unfair because some companies are only starting out and have not yet made any money and yet they are expected to pay the annual fee just to keep their companies registered.

The penalty fee is also high and I feel something must be done to assist small businesses in such matters,” she said.

Ms Nlanda said that although her business was doing well, her challenge was that most of the ingredients used in her products were not available in the country.

However, she said her business was ready to compete with the giants in the industry, as she had invested in her business by learning the craft of manufacturing and producing hair and skin care products during the first lockdown.

Asali Hair Care products can be found in stores, the grocery zone in Tlokweng, Hair Mart in KB mall, Organic Hair salon and Mmamontle Concept Store.

For her part, the founder of The Local Slice Bw, Ms Thato Chuma said that as a digital enterprise fostering support towards local products, they had observed that Batswana entrepreneurs were generally manufacturing and producing good products and services.

She said that the quality and branding of local products had improved over the years and that there was still room for improvement, given the right structural support so that they become globally competitive. ENDS