21 Apr 2022

Botswana and South Africa should capitalise on their good relations to boost trade and investment in order to facilitate socio-economic revival following the COVID-19 induced downturn of the past two years.

This was said by Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Lemogang Kwape during the official opening of the 5th Botswana-South Africa Bi-National Commission  ministerial session in Pretoria yesterday.

Given the pandemic’s devastating impact on the two countries’ economies, he said,  it was imperative that they worked together towards improved economic growth and transformation.

“Strengthening trade and investment between our two countries, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and indeed our continent can have a significant impact in reviving our battered economies," Dr Kwape said.

He said it was therefore vitally important for Botswana and South Africa to address outstanding issues in their trade and investment partnership.

The issues included non-tariff barriers to trade on scrap metals, agricultural products and equipment, said the minister.

"There is no doubt that our two countries place a high premium on foreign direct investment.  To this end, I believe these are the areas where we can have a regional approach through partnership and collaborations.  This can include mega infrastructural projects in the transport, energy, tourism, agricultural and other sectors, which have abundant potential for joint investment," Dr Kwape said.

South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, concurred that the two countries had ‘a responsibility to work closely to address the resultant challenges of our economies emerging from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic’.

She stressed the need for the two countries to collaborate more in the economic sphere.

"We share the same aspirations for growing our economies to create employment and eradicate poverty and inequality. We also share similar views on the security and economic development of our region and the continent. Mutually beneficial ties and investment flows must grow between our two countries," Dr Pandor said.

Meanwhile, Dr Kwape has extended Botswana's condolences to South Africa following the loss of  hundreds of lives and  extensive damage to property in a recent flooding tragedy which occurred in the country’s KwaZulu-Natal Province.ends