05 Oct 2022

The 2022 Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) flagship project - Global Expo Botswana (GEB) is expected to boost exhibitors and patrons knowledge by sharing with them best business practices.

Themed Reimagining our Economy for a Better Tomorrow through Digitaliation and Application of Robust Export-led Strategies, the exhibition is set for November 1-4 at Fairgrounds Holdings.

About 200 local and international exhibitors are expected to attend the expo.

In an interview on October 4, GEB Project Manager, Mr Dipopego Tsheko said the physical setting of the export had been absent for the past two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Mr Tsheko said interim interventions were made to hold the first-ever virtual exposition in 2020, adding that for the year 2021 the government had mandated BITC to facilitate Botswana’s participation at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The official opening has been planned for November 3, which  the guest of honour, the President and Chairman of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Professor Benedict Oramah has confirmed attendance.

Mr Tsheko said Afreximbank, a multinational bank owned by African governments and private entities from Africa and abroad was headquartered in Cairo.

The project manager said they were hoping to secure the attendance of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi who had attended the previous expos as the guest of honour.

Mr Tsheko mentioned that Prof Oramah would also give an address at the official opening, and would later contribute to the planned fireside chat where CNBC Africa Editor-in-Chief, Mr Godfrey Mutizwa would anchor the conversations and reflect on Botswana’s Reset and Transformational Agenda.

Furthermore, the project manager said Mr Mutizwa would bring to the fore how Botswana could benefit from Afreximbank looking into the  transformational agenda. 

President Masisi’s participation at the scheduled fireside chat was yet to be confirmed, he said.

Mr Tsheko highlighted that recently LUCARA mine launched its expansion project which would  see them extending the mine lifespan beyond 2040, and Afreximbank was the lead arranger of the P2.6 billion (US$200 million) deal.

Therefore, he concluded that bringing the caliber of Prof Oramah and his entourage of 12 executives to Botswana to meet with captains of industry and members of the private sector could come in handy, especially in soliciting financial assistance to set up industries that could create more jobs for citizens.

Apart from this, Mr Tsheko said there would be a conference after the official opening where one of the topics to be discussed  would be financial solutions needed in Botswana for the private sector to thrive, specifically local exporters.

Mr Tsheko noted that local companies were not able to expand and export their goods because of the lack financial instruments such as trade finance, factoring, etc. Afreximbank and institutions such as Factors Chain International will bring together entities such  as CEDA and BECI (Export Credit Insurance and Guarantee Company Botswana) to discuss ways in which financial instruments could be enhanced to ensure that export readiness was enhanced among local companies, he said.

Also to be discussed, he said would be key issues surrounding commodities trading and what it took to partake fully.

He added that Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) which sold P1 billion worth of diamonds in one day at the EXPO 2020 Dubai would  also partake in this event to share knowledge and experiences.

Furthermore, Mr Tsheko said the conference would explore digitalization within the health sector and aspects of telemedicine and using technologies such as drones to enhance service delivery.

Mr Tsheko said November 3 was  earmarked by the Afreximbank Business Forum as a day when the whole team of executives would address the business sector on their services, from trade finance to their subsidiaries such as the Fund for Export Development Agency (FEDA).

This, he said would be followed by the PUSHA BW forum, which would be focusing more on  BITC’s achievement as an institution over the past 10 years, particularly the its impact on local businesses.

The best GEB 2022 exhibitors would be recognised during the awards dinner scheduled for November 4.  Ends