10 Jul 2024

Imagining the countless lives lost when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in 2020 evokes sombre memories. 

Relentless and unyielding, the pandemic claimed many of our loved ones as this sinister virus ravaged bodies by depleting blood oxygen levels, eventually leading to devastating respiratory complications. 

In the face of this devastating global tragedy, the government of Botswana, like many elsewhere, desperately scrambled to source medical gas as hospitals struggled with a catastrophic shortage of essential gas treatment equipment. 

Amidst this turmoil, the response from the local gas manufacturing company, Oxygas, seemed to have arrived rather late to mitigate the shortage. 

Yet, the enduring lesson from the global catastrophe that was COVID-19 is that medical oxygen is a vital necessity if countries were to avoid the recurrence of such tragedies. 

Going by the mantra ‘Botswerere jwa modisa ke go gorosa’ Oxygas seized the opportunity and recognised the need to expand access to medical oxygen, even in the absence of a pandemic threat. 

The company swiftly took proactive steps to address both local and global challenges in the medical and industrial gas supply chain. 

It has embarked on an ambitious initiative to increase access to medical oxygen so that people do not die from lack of oxygen, thanks to the generosity of Botswana Chamber of Mines. 

Established just after the end of the global COVID-19 pandemic that swept across the globe almost four years ago, Oxygas cemented its manufacturing presence and reaffirmed its long-standing belief in the risks associated with economies overly reliant on imported medical gases. 

“So, we are proud to be contributing to the national security of medical gas supply, thereby addressing some of the global supply chain challenges,” the company’s managing director, Mr Keamogetse Molebatsi says in an interview. 

Theirs are diverse gas products both in terms of the market, comparatively as they supply from factory floors to hospitals. 

Oxygas, located in the Selebi Phikwe industrial site, is the first and only citizen-owned manufacturer of medical and industrial gases, which include industrial and medical oxygen in liquid and gaseous forms, acetylene, liquid and gaseous nitrogen and nitrous oxide, among others. 

“We also distribute argon and carbon dioxide which we source outside the country. Our products packaging is a key differentiator. Our cylinders are lighter than the ones in the market. Most importantly, our products are competitively priced,” Mr Molebatsi says. 

Owing to the fact it is a relatively new company, one would wonder how it maintains strong relationships with its industrial and medical clients, let alone the strategies it employs to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

To that, Mr Molebatsi is quick to explain that the company’s focus is to create as much value for its customers through supplying dependable, quality and safe products at competitive pricing and excellent client service. 

He adds: “We ensure that the experience our customers get when interacting with us, our products and our services, is fulfilling and satisfying for them to be return-clients. This we do through our go-to-market business model which enables us to deliver products from our manufacturing plant to the end recipient without any intermediaries. 

“Staying close to our customers also allows us to test and adjust our solutions much more quickly and effectively.” 

Oxygas has further decided to establish strategic collaborations in order to enhance its position in the oxygen market, through various distribution channels, research initiatives and other avenues. 

Mr Molebatsi reckons that access to the regional market is their area of keen interest, hence they also partnered with Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC). 

“We believe that sustainability of businesses in Botswana is through export markets and there are several advantages already, especially the road infrastructure and one-stop border services,” he says. 

He adds that while they have started exporting to Namibia, they believe that countries such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zimbabwe, among others, hold great potential. 

“It is, therefore, important that we work with BITC to access these markets. It is one of the first institutions to partner with during the project development phase. At a time when it was a requirement by one of our financiers, BITC facilitated our benchmarking visit to a similar operation in Abhu Dhabi. That visit unlocked a number of opportunities, including engagements with current suppliers of our equipment and raw materials,” recalls Mr Molebatsi. 

He further highlights that as a BITC-accredited entity, they benefited from its facilitations aimed at brokering access to markets. 

While some of them were yet to materialise, they appreciate the support to engage with potential clients with ease. 

Oxygas has also partnered with Botswana Chamber of Mines, which gives the company direct access to member mines market. 

To date, says Mr Molebatsi, three mines are buying their products and anticipate more to come, thanks to the BCM/Debswana Citizen Economic Empowerment (CEEP) programme. 

On one hand, in light of global economic and regulatory changes, the company has devised some measures to navigate challenges such as supply chain disruptions, pricing fluctuations and regulatory compliance to sustain and grow the gas business. 

To that end, Mr Molebatsi says, they are developing efficient manufacturing and operational processes to drive growth of their business, thereby creating value in their operations. 

“We are organising ourselves to be flexible and innovative in our supply chain management. We have established long-term relationships with our key suppliers while partnering with our main bank to manage issues of international trade. We have invested in and are implementing management systems that develop and build competencies while eliminating waste,” he says. Ends