12 Nov 2020

Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi, has told Parliament that there are two large companies licenced to produce tobacco in Gaborone. 

Mr Molebatsi who was responding to a question from the Jwaneng-Mabutsane Member of Parliament Mr Mephato Reatile said the licenced tobacco company which had been operating in Gaborone since 2007 had invested P4.937 million and employed 12 people while the other company was licensed in 2020 with a projected investment of P10 million and anticipated employment of 20. 

He also noted that there were two companies for alcohol manufacturing being Botswana Breweries Limited (BBL) which had two branches located in Gaborone and Francistown and Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL).

Mr Molebatsi added that the business that operates in Gaborone was licenced in 1998 while the one in Francistown was licenced in 2008 and both companies have a total investment of P3.639 billion with a total of 401 jobs.

He said the ministry had also licenced 4 893 retail liquor businesses through local authorities across the country being bar liquor, bottle store, night club, depot, distributor and wholesale liquor with a total of 15 910 employees as at March 2020.

Mr Reatile had wanted an update on Botswana’s investment portfolio in the tobacco and alcohol industry.ENDS