06 Apr 2022

One of potential investors courted during he just-ended Expo 2020 Dubai has followed up his interest in Botswana with a visit to the country.

Dubai’s Al Rawabi Dairy chief executive officer, Professor Ahmed Eltigani Elmansouri, one of the 25 potential investors who  showed interest in Botswana during the exposition, paid a courtesy call on President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi yesterday.

Interested in setting up a dairy business in Botswana, Prof Elmansouri  presented to the President dairy industry spill-offs that could be exploited to substitute imports.

Among them, he mentioned dairy cattle feed production, development of requisite dairy farming skills, dairy products export facilitation and creation of employment opportunities.

Prof Elmansouri stated that he had identified immense farming industry potential following his visitations to Botswana Meat Commission and Milk Afric in Lobatse as well as the proposed dairy farms at Mookane and Dibete.

In an interview, Minister of Investment Trade and Industry, Mr Mmusi Kgafela stressed the need to grow Botswana’s dairy industry in order to reduce money spent on milk imports.

He said Botswana’s annual milk demand amounted to 65 million litres while local production was only 15 per cent.

The rest of was met through importation, especially from neighbouring South Africa, he said.

Mr Kgafela said Prof Elmansouri, whose dairy business was established in 1989,  supplied four  per cent of Dubai’s milk needs.

“We got excited by his acumen on the dairy industry and encouraged him to visit Botswana and he is here,” he stated.

He said the potential investor, who had technical expertise in the dairy industry, also expressed the intention to assist Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources to produce graduates for the milk industry as well as to develop local farmers.

Mr Kgafela disclosed that during the visit to Milk Afric, Prof Elmansouri identified gaps that could be filled to grow the milk industry.

He had also shown interest in introducing alfa alfa, which was suitable for feeding dairy cattle rather than the more common lablab, said Mr Kgafela.

The minister stated that should alfa alfa be successfully grown, it would also be exported to the Middle East.

“We continue talks with him, his agility is promising and it is up to us to support him,” he said.

Mr Kgafela promised to ensure that relevant departments facilitated all potential investors interested in setting up businesses through the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre’s one-stop-shop service. ends