29 May 2022

There is a need to support local manufacturing businesses as it creates employment for Batswana.

This was said by Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mmusi Kgafela after touring Gabs Bedding on Friday. He said purchasing locally manufactured goods was crucial to the country’s economic recovery from  impacts of COVID-19.

He said buying local products would create employment because income could be re-distributed back into the local economy. 

“Surely the need has now been clearly established for us to further support and develop our manufacturing industry,” said Mr Kgafela.

Mr Kgafela criticised Batswana who had the tendency of supporting foreign furniture chain stores and overlooking local  manufactures.

He said local furniture producers used high quality material and that their products were of the quality, adding that foreign chain stores were not providing any corporate social responsibility. 

“As a major pillar to the economy, the industry is rightly expected to provide benefits to the areas where the business is conducted,” he said, adding that Gabs Bedding has been performing its corporate social responsibility. 

He said failure to support local businesses would  render them not making profit and ultimately high unemployment rate. 

 

The minister hailed Gabs Bedding for being one of the largest furniture manufacturing companies specialising in the design, manufacture and supply of high quality products.

Mr Kgafela said he would engage Business Botswana regarding foreign furniture supply before taking any drastic measures such as imposing restrictions so that local manufactures could be supported.

“In all the furniture stores operating in Botswana, I did not see Gabs Bedding products except at OK Furniture’s , where the company’s products displayed,” he said.

Gabs Bedding is based in Gaborone and manufactures bed base sets, lounge suites and leather products such as handbags and travel bags. It began its operations in 1999.

The owner and CEO of Gabs Bedding, Mr Ray Morgan said he believed it was time for local manufacturing sector took the lead.

“We have the capacity to triple our production and create new jobs right now, but we need help to do it,” he said.

Mr Morgan said they would have  expanded to other areas lack of buying power from Batswana had  failed them.  

Therefore, he appealed to Batswana to support his company and other Batswana owned businesses instead of foreign businesses. 

Currently, he said his company employed about 200 people, saying because of due unsatisfactory profits there were considering retrenching some employees.

Their brand beds include sleep logic and posture logic. Ends