04 Nov 2025

Botswana remains committed to the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as outlined in the transitional National Development Plan (NDP12), while continuing to engage actively within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Southern African Customs Union (SACU) frameworks.

In an interview, Chief Negotiator in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Mr Pazha Butale said the ministry had developed the AfCFTA National Implementation Strategy, which sought to increase exports and enhance regional trade flows.

He noted that, alongside the national strategy, the ministry had also identified SACU regional value chain sectors in agro-processing, clothing and textiles, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, automotive, green minerals, and mineral beneficiation.

For the SADC regional value chain, he said priority sectors included agro-processing, clothing and textiles, and pharmaceuticals, complemented by the AfCFTA automotive strategy.

Mr Butale highlighted the successful piloting of electronic certificates of origin under SADC, noting that the initiatives had increased intra-SADC exports, supported gradual tariff reductions in line with AfCFTA commitments, and improved cross-border trade facilitation through border harmonisation.

He said Botswana continued to invest in trade-related infrastructure to enhance competitiveness and connectivity. Key projects include the Kazungula Bridge and One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), a strategic trade and transport hub between Botswana and Zambia. 

These facilities, he said, had reduced transit times and transport costs while improving the movement of goods and people.

Additionally, Mr Butale said the ministry has implemented Digital Customs Systems, including the development of an Electronic Single Window for customs clearance, in accordance with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

He reiterated the ministry’s ongoing support for Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises to access regional markets through government agencies and international partnerships that offered export development, training, financing, and market-access initiatives.

He further noted that the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) promoted exports through initiatives such as the Botswana Exporter Development Programme (BEDP), which helped local manufacturers meet international export standards. Other efforts include outward and inward buyer missions.

For the 2025/26 financial year, BITC plans to conduct outward trade missions to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, and Kenya, subject to budget availability, while increasing virtual engagements with markets such as Ghana and Zambia.

In the area of e-commerce, BITC is collaborating with a Chinese company to list Botswana’s exportable products on its platform, targeting the Chinese market. 

Botswana’s leading non-diamond export products include ignition wiring sets, meat and meat products, salt and soda ash, citrus fruits, automobile batteries, PVC tanks and pipes, and underground mining vehicles.

Mr Butale said Botswana was actively seeking to expand trade beyond traditional partners such as the European Union. ENDS