03 Jul 2024

Annual Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) local manufacturing summit has been slated for August 6-7 at Gaborone International Conference Centre.

Briefing the media on July 2, BCM’s Projects Manager, Mr Joseph Ramotshabi said the summit aimed to shine a spotlight on mining-supported manufacturing companies, and address economic diversification, economic growth, citizen empowerment and employment creation through promoting and supporting the growth of local manufacturing capacity for local, regional and international region.

He said manufacturing was an integral part of any economy as it contributed to the GDP of a country, and created wealth by producing goods that can be sold to the domestic and international markets, thereby generating revenue and employment.

He said in recognition that resources naturally decline, manufacturing was one way of diversifying the economy as it often provided employment opportunities, ranging from unskilled labour on production lines to engineers, designers and managers overseeing such operations.

“Manufacturing drives innovation by constantly seeking more efficient production methods, improving product quality and developing new technologies,” he said.

He said the summit would also serve as a platform for Batswana to showcase what they can do, adding that all the mining houses operating in Botswana would be represented to support the growth of the country’s manufacturing sector. 

“Currently manufacturing contributes five per cent and we would want to double the digits,” he said.

He further said other stakeholders in the manufacturing influencers and supports including service providers, distributors will be available from other countries where Batswana will learn and share knowledge so as to enhance global economic standing.

He said manufacturing plays a pivotal role in economic development, job creation, innovation and international competitiveness adding that its impact extended beyond shaping the socio-economic landscape of nations and influencing global trade dynamics. Ends