13 Jul 2023

Some business operators in Maun have appreciated the US-Africa Business Summit, saying it was an eye opener.

The summit, they said, had the potential to open more opportunities for the local businesses to penetrate the global markets.

They aired their views in a random interview after they virtually attended the official opening.

The managing director of Okavango Air Rescue, Prophet Thato Elias thanked the government for hosting the summit which he said had brought them fresh ideas and new business opportunities to grow their businesses and eventually create employment.

He also pointed out that he had learned that collaboration and partnerships were key aspects in business.

“We have learnt that collaborating within our network is highly recommended in order to grow our businesses faster,” he added Prophet Elias further noted some businesses, especially in the tourism industry, were struggling to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and believed that government would revisit some polices and laws and loosen them in an effort to ease doing business.

A representative from the beef industry, Mr Frank Mafela concurred that the summit was a welcome development for beef producers, saying it would open doors for value chain development.

He said there were many cattle by-products that were underutilised, citing horns, hides and blood, hoping that the summit would attract some potential investors to establish big factories for such products in Botswana.

The beef industry, he said was viable and wished the financial institutions and the private sector could support farmers so that they grew the industry and contribute significantly to the economy.

“From the summit, we have learnt that we should not focus on competition but rather encourage each other to soldier on.

This conference has shown us that networking is a powerful tool that can lead to new business opportunities,” he added.

North West regional chairperson of Women in Business Association (WIBA) Ms Christinah Leshego also hailed government for hosting the summit and giving entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn new approaches that could help them explore opportunities.

She would also strengthen collaboration between the Africa countries on trading.

“I hopeful that the locals will fully utilise the value chain development opportunity as well as work with other businesses to tap into new ideas and approaches, leveraging on each other’s strengths and expertise to create innovative solutions,” she added.

Ms Leshego noted that collaboration between government and the private sector was key, adding that currently WIBA had collaborated with the Ministry of Trade and Innovation through

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the US, saying the programme promoted economic growth through good governance and free markets.

AGOA is a trade arrangement between the US and Sub-Saharan African countries, which runs till 2025.

Botswana, she said was a beneficiary member under AGOA, meaning that Batswana could export some products to America free of tariffs.

Ms Leshego expressed optimism that the locals would improve production so that Botswana could increase the its export before the programme came to an end. ENDS