14 Sep 2026

The Trans-Kalahari Corridor (TKC) should be viewed as more than a road connecting three countries, but as an economic artery connecting people, businesses, production centres, markets and investment opportunities.

The Mayor of Jwaneng Town Council Mr Ronica Ntsimako said during the official opening of the 2026 Trans-Kalahari Corridor Investment and Connectivity Golf Day held in Jwaneng on September 12.

Mr Ntsimako stated that every business connection must take Jwaneng a step closer to transforming the Trans-Kalahari Corridor from primarily a transport route into a fully-fledged economic and investment corridor.

“We want to tell the story of a town strategically positioned to become an important business, investment and service centre, taking advantage of Botswana’s location within the Trans-Kalahari Corridor,” he said.

He stated that the corridor gave an opportunity to connect businesses and communities to larger markets across Botswana, Namibia and South Africa and ultimately to international markets.

Mr Ntsimako said it offered Botswana an important alternative trade route and provides an opportunity to strengthen the country’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub. He emphasised that economic activity around the corridor must deliberately be developed, citing the need for logistics facilities, commercial developments, tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, agro-processing, technology, financial services and many other supporting industries.

The investments he said must ultimately translated into employment and economic opportunities for the citizens, particularly young people and small medium enterprises.

He therefore underscored that it was crucial to identify opportunities contained in Jwaneng District and local development plans and package them into credible investment propositions.

He further indicated that regional integration must be measured by its impact on ordinary citizens. “When borders become efficient, businesses must benefit, when transport costs decline, producers must benefit, when investment increases, communities must benefit and when trade grows, jobs must be created,” he said.

The Executive Director of Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat, Mr Leslie Mpofu said the objective of the TKC golf day was to bring together traders, entrepreneurs, financiers and developers especially along Trans-Kalahari Corridor.

Mr Mpofu said the aim was to strategically position TKC, ensure seamless movement of goods along the corridor, making it visible as a corridor of choice and an economic corridor.

The aim is to market the corridor internationally as a safe, secure and efficient corridor.

The challenges experienced in the efforts to position TKC, he said ranged from telecommunications, infrastructure, and network connectivity.

He noted that BOCRA has embarked on a national roaming project to ensure that people were connected, which would go a long way in improving accessibility.

TKC, he said advocated for one-stop border posts, connected road network and seamless terminal buildings to enable them to bridge a gap hindering cross-border trade.

Harmonisation of legislation between the three countries, he said would facilitate trade on TKC, citing transport legislation, health and wildlife among others.

Mr Mpofu proposed for a TKC VISA that would allow travelers to use the same VISA to travel between Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.

Trans Kalahari Corridor investor, Ms Rene Brouwer from CRJ Capital, an Australian investment company based in South Africa, said the aim was to bring forex into Botswana and have more investment on TKC railway line, local businesses like agriculture and manufacturing.

“If we can open this corridor and bring copper from Zambia through Botswana to Namibia, it generates forex,” she said.

Ms Brouwer also mentioned access to technology as one of the challenges faced in operating along the Trans-Kalahari Corridor. ENDS