21 Aug 2025

Government is choosing to relentlessly prioritise and pursue, with all  its might, opportunities in agriculture, energy, mining and tourism.

Other priority areas include the creative industry, manufacturing, as well as financial services and digitalisation.

Speaking  during the  Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD),  Vice President, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe said the country’s Economic Transformation programme was a bold programme coordinated  towards the national effort to diversify, innovate and restore dignity to the  nation.

“We are now choosing to pursue a Botswana Transformation Programme, a rapid-fire process that has shaped our true north,  a high income Botswana that is digitally-enabled, diversified, export-led, where every citizen is employed, empowered and fulfilled,” he said.

 Mr  Gaolathe thus said Japan was a partner that shared Botswana’s  clarity and the zeal to learn, adding that Japan was also endowed with material assets, citing technology, depth of human resource, a developed hi-tech manufacturing sector and finances.

He, therefore,  pleaded for  Japanese partnerships in building mega projects that had been rigorously tested for transformative potential and bankability. 

“Partner with us to build our sustainable transport systems, energy grids, water and food systems, our tourism assets, our capacity in AI, digital technology, robotics and advanced manufacturing as well as our universal health coverage, our vaccine production, our  disease surveillance,” he said.

Drawing similarities to Botswana, the Vice President indicated that Japan’s true asset was also its people and their character.

 “The quiet truth is that, yes diamonds have been our mainstay, but our true diamond has been the generation of people before us, a generation of clarity, a generation of learning, a generation of character and a generation of a selfless community spirit,” he said.

 Mr Gaolathe hence expressed Botswana’s appreciation to Japan, African Union Commission and all TICAD partners for convening the summit, indicating that the conference was more than just an event, but a ‘covenant with the future’. BOPA