SPEDU on autopilot
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday May 26, 2025 16:12
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Olesitse Masimega, admitted this week that SPEDU has not performed as expected due to the absence of a board and a Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
'SPEDU hasn't been able to deliver as expected as they have been operating for years without a board and a CEO,' Masimega said when appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week.
He told the sitting that the search for competent leadership, including a board and CEO, only began in earnest in 2023, more than a decade following the agency's establishment.
However, despite these challenges Masimega noted that SPEDU has managed to compile a business catalogue highlighting companies operating under its support within the Phikwe region.
“SPEDU has been supporting businesses in the Phikwe region. They have compiled a catalogue that includes all SPEDU-supported companies and the products they offer,” he said.
The Accounting Officer was responding to the PAC members questions, who wanted to find out the impact of the SPEDU region and if they are indeed delivering as per their mandate.
Established in 2012 following the closure of BCL Limited, SPEDU was designed to spearhead economic diversification in the region by promoting sectors such as agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
Concerns have, however, been raised on the slow progress and governance casting doubt on the future of economic recovery efforts in the area.
The state-backed organisation has faced periods of stagnation, largely due to unresolved land disputes, which have delayed project implementation and investor confidence.
Additionally, SPEDU’s mandate has often been criticised for lacking clarity as it intends to overlap with the responsibilities of other government parastatals, leading to confusion, duplication of efforts and inefficiencies in execution.
The agency remains a candidate for a merger with other state-owned enterprises amid a rationalisation process being conducted by the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship for its parastatals.
Amongst those under review are SPEDU, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA), as they are said to share overlapping mandates, particularly in the area of attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
As of 2024, SPEDU revealed it was facilitating 154 companies, which are at different stages of implementation.
The companies were in the private space, except for one that was said to be funded by the government. The cumulative investment for the companies was reported to be P4.2 billion, while the anticipated number of jobs be created stands at 6,312.