01 Feb 2024

Francistown is a vibrant and growing hub for businesses, with a wide range of opportunities for entrepreneurs to start and grow their ventures.

The city’s’ strategic location and infrastructure make it an ideal place to set up shops, and supportive business community is ready to help new businesses to succeed.

Speaking at a one-day Business Botswana workshop organised by the Francistown City Council on Tuesday, Local Enterprise Authority’s Branch Manager, Mr Mpho Leboane, said there were untapped opportunities just waiting to be explored, and those willing to seize them would be well positioned to thrive.

Mr Leboane explained that with hard work and determination, anyone can make a success of themselves in Francistown.

In addition to real state, Mr Leboane said other opportunities exist for businesses in the entertainment sector.

He said a Luna Park, mountain bike trails, and nightlife ventures could all be successful.

“These types of businesses would appeal to tourists and locals alike, and would help to create a lively and vibrant atmosphere in the city,” he said.

Mr Leboane said these businesses could also create jobs and boost the local economy.

“It is clear that Francistown has the potential to be a hub for a variety of businesses, and with some investments and innovation, it could become a thriving and vibrant city,” he added.

Mr Leboane stated that Francistown was a central point with a potential market of around 200 million people, since it is a corridor to Zambia and Central Africa.

He observed that Francistown also had potential to host global exhibitions, and all that was needed was to develop state of the art facilities.

Mr Leboane expressed optimism that redevelopment of the Francistown Central Business District would give the city a facelift.

He said the re-opening of the Francistown abattoir of the Botswana Meat Commission could also help revitalise the city.

 The Councillor for Francistown Central,  Ms Lillian Griesmier, said acquiring tourism licences these days was difficult, and that was why people seemed to be dragging their feet when it came to investing in tourism.

Ms Griesmier called on the licensing administrators to ensure that they issued licences within a reasonable time to speed up development. 

She said most of the ideas stated by the Local Enterprise Agency had long been brought up and what lacked was implementation.

One participant, Mr Calvin Motswaborwa, insisted that local companies should be encouraged to give priority to the locals when buying products.

The Mayor of Francistown, Mr Godisang Radisigo, emphasised that Batswana should commit to mind-set change in line with the Reset Agenda, so as to contribute positively towards local economic development. Ends