22 May 2025

The rebranding of Global Expo Botswana to Pula Investment conference is aimed at better serving both local and foreign investors.

The move, announced at a Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) national roadshow in Francistown on Tuesday, seeks to redefine Botswana’s investment story and position the country for transformative growth, boosting the global export of Botswana products.

Speaking at the roadshow, BITC project manager Mr Thomas Molebatsi explained that the rebranding was a key step in the broader strategy to boost economic diversification and increase engagement with Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), retailers, hotels and producers.

Regarding the upcoming Pula Investment conference and exhibition slated for October 8-11 in Gaborone, he said the event was a call to action by all as the country redefined its investment landscape.

Themed: Unlocking Botswana’s Potential: Partnerships for Sustainable Growth, Mr Molebatsi said the conference would build on this new focus, and highlight the importance of partnerships between government, the private sector, and communities to drive sustainable development.

Mr Molebatsi also explained that the conference would prioritise innovation and investment, as well as connecting Botswana’s entrepreneurs with global investors.

“The event is expected to attract industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and innovators, fostering opportunities for groundbreaking ideas and showcasing Botswana’s potential to the global market,” he added.

He said previous years had seen participation from over 200 exhibitors from across Africa and beyond.

The event he said, would also focus on skills development and job creation, preparing Botswana’s workforce for the future.

In his welcome remarks, BITC Francistown’s director of services, Mr Gaerekwe Gaerekwe explained that the aim of the national roadshow was to promote investment and export opportunities in the SADC region, with a particular focus on educating attendees about product listing requirements and the PushaBW campaign.

Meanwhile, participants learnt that the Companies Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) was cracking down on unregistered company secretaries following a surge in fly-by-night operations.

CIPA official, Ms Lorato Kemong announced that the authority had been given the mandate to register all secretarial companies to curb the issue.

She said this comes in response to growing concerns about unregistered businesses which operate outside of established codes of conduct and charged exorbitant fees.

She said unregistered companies created unfair business practices, and benefit individuals who should not be profiting from secretarial activities.

For their part, participants expressed frustration with the high costs of secretarial services and the unethical practices of some secretarial companies.

Concerns were also raised about CIPA’s perceived failure to fulfill its mandate effectively, prompting questions about the organisation’s capacity to regulate the industry.

The roadshow is themed: Driving economic growth through investment, trade and enterprise development. ENDS