26 Oct 2026

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and government are working to equip Botswana’s small businesses with the skills and partnerships needed to compete in regional and international markets.

This was highlighted during a market day held under the theme: Seen in Botswana, Sent to the World, which showcased local enterprises and efforts to improve market access for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

UNDP Botswana Resident Representative, Ms Lovita Ramguttee, said the organisation was supporting local businesses through financial literacy, business planning, investment readiness and training on trade requirements under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She said the support also included trade missions and business exchanges in countries such as Namibia, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, providing businesses with opportunities to learn about regional markets and establish commercial connections.

Ms Ramguttee said the market day sought to connect local enterprises with potential buyers and business partners while encouraging private sector players in retail, hospitality and tourism to incorporate locally made products into their procurement and supply chains.

She also called on diplomatic missions to help identify international market opportunities for Botswana’s products and services.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Professor Goemeone Mogomotsi, said AfCFTA presented businesses with an opportunity to expand beyond Botswana’s domestic market into a continental market of more than 1.4 billion people.

However, he said businesses needed to understand trade regulations, meet relevant standards and use digital tools to compete effectively.

He said government, in partnership with UNDP, had been helping businesses understand rules of origin, e-tariffs, digital trade and export readiness to prepare them to take advantage of opportunities under the continental trade agreement.

The market day provided a practical platform to demonstrate how such initiatives could help local businesses position themselves for wider markets.

For nine women behind Authentic Okavango Baskets, UNDP support helped them transition from selling their products individually to operating as a single company.

Ms Ditiro Kelaotswe of Authentic Okavango Baskets said the women had previously produced and sold baskets independently in different villages in the Okavango region until UNDP identified them and encouraged them to establish a single business.

She said the organisation sent the group to Rwanda to learn about partnerships and collaboration, helping them understand the importance of working together.

“We were all selling individually until UNDP discovered us and suggested that we merge and make one company,” she said.

The women subsequently established Authentic Okavango Baskets, producing baskets from reeds and water lilies collected from rivers.

Ms Kelaotswe said the company had already established a market in Europe and was awaiting the completion of its catalogue as it prepared to pursue further opportunities.

Their experience illustrates how collaboration and business development support can help local artisans organise their operations, strengthen their market position and explore international opportunities.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, Ms Natasha Rampa, said supporting women- and youth-led enterprises was important for economic diversification, job creation and improved household incomes.

She said training, mentorship, market access and digital tools could help women and young people develop sustainable businesses and reach customers beyond their immediate communities.

“Women’s entrepreneurship is not a side social issue. It’s central to economic diversification,” she said.

Ms Rampa added that digital trade and e-commerce could reduce geographical barriers and create further opportunities for small businesses to access wider markets. ENDS