12 Oct 2023

The quest for government to improve the business environment and align it with the private sector needs aims at attracting international businesses to consider investing in Botswana.

As such, events like the 2023 Global Expo and EU Botswana Business Forum served as a platform to present compelling value propositions to the EU companies for them to choose Botswana as an investment destination, says the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mmusi Kgafela.

Welcoming guests at the joint 2023 Global Expo and EU Botswana Business Forum, Mr Kgafela said the country was open to receiving foreign investors from across the globe.

He said he appreciated the EU for enabling the joint event to take off and expressed his wish for the signing of long-term investment and partnership deals.

In the past, he said, Botswana watched with interest and envy the support which the EU was providing to other Africa countries towards hosting similar business events.

The EU Botswana Business Forum is held alongside the Global Expo, a trademark event that aims to provide a platform for the local companies to interact with their international counterparts to ultimately create long term business relations.

Mr Kgafela said over the years, the expo had provided both local and international companies with an opportunity to explore market access and venture into new frontiers.

He said in 2022, Belgium was the leading investment destination of goods and services from Botswana, adding that trade for Belgium accounted for 18.7 per cent of the total exports with the main product being diamonds

He said Botswana, as a SADC member, was signatory to the EU-SADC economic partnership agreement which was signed June 10, 2016. Upon singing the agreement, Mr Kgafela said the EU embarked on a journey to help SADC countries implement the agreement.

Therefore, Mr Kgafela said the EU has availed €6 million to enhance the capacity of Botswana’s public and private sector to reap the benefits of the agreement. The EU-SADC economic partnership agreement Botswana support programme was launched in February 2021 and will continue to run until July 31, 2024.

He said EU Botswana Business Forum was conceived as a result of the support programme and noted that the relationship of Botswana and EU was not new as it dates back as far as 1981, when the EU first opened its office in Gaborone.

As such, he said, the EU had been the country’s developmental partner supporting various social economic programme targeted at uplifting the livelihoods of the community.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director General of the International Partnerships European Commission, Ms Myriam Ferran, said the key objective was for companies from Botswana, Africa and EU to explore together investment and trade opportunities and potential strong business partnerships.

Ms Ferran said EU-SADC partnership was aimed at establishing long-term sustainable business environment that would go a long way in supporting sustainable development. She said one of the reasons for the business forum was also to access the strength of partnership between Europe and Africa as well as acknowledging the potential of deepening the business relations.

Ms Ferran added that the business forum was yet another milestone in the excellent business relations. She said the EU appreciated and was determined the journey that the country was undertaking of transforming from middle income to high income economy that was driven by the knowledge-based society and towards achieving prosperity for all by 2036.

“Our relations are excellent and we are here to strengthen them,” she said. Ms Ferran said it was imperative for the EU and government to form strong partnerships with the private sector to develop the business sector.

Ms Ferran said the EU strategy for sustainable development aimed at addressing current global challenges such as climate change, energy crisis, digital transformation, sustainable transport connections including the crucial need to support UN habitat development through innovation and research.

She concurred with Minister Kgafela that the EU through different forms was delivering practical assistance to Botswana towards supporting among others investment and trade.

In her closing remarks, Ambassador of Botswana to Belgium, Ms Mmasekgowa Masire-Mwamba, expressed appreciation to all stakeholders that have collaborated in making the event a success. Ms Masire-Mwamba said the Global Expo and the EU Botswana Business Forum offered an opportunity to create, connect and collaborate.

“The time is now, think smart, think global and think big,” she said. ENDS