SEZA confident of creating jobs
Staff Writer | Friday August 14, 2020 12:33
Speaking this week, Mogara said SEZA has adopted a jobs strategy that will anchor Botswana’s economic recovery plan at its eight Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the zones are set to become modern smart cities modelled around the live, work and play concept.
The Authority plans roll out the red carpet for investors at its SEZs, offering investment incentives, removing barriers to trade and facilitating easier access to land and services.
“Our SEZs will offer a competitive business environment characterised by favourable policies and special financial, investment and trade privileges,” Mogara said. “That’s how we will be able to attract investors, diversify our exports, increase foreign earnings, facilitate technology transfer and in the end create substantial employment.”
Before setting up its SEZs, the Authority conducted intensive studies that considered, among others, dominant economic activity in the areas, as well as availability of natural resources and infrastructure. The Authority has secured 440 hectares of land that will house energy, coal beneficiation, oil to liquid, renewable energy and coal bed methane operations in Palapye – the oil and gas city.
As the gateway to the north, Francistown is being dolled up as a mining and logistics city that will house freight and logistics; distribution; mineral beneficiation and aviation enterprises.
SEZA has also secured 1,020 hectares of land in Selebi-Phikwe, where key economic activities will be iron and steel production, agro-processing, textiles as well as pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
“Tuli Block and Pandamatenga are agropolis cities that will specialise in horticulture, food processing, cereal production and water management projects,” Mogara said.
The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is based in a diamond beneficiation and logistics city that will house investors in specialist automotive and plastics injection moulding, diamond beneficiation, logistics, aviation, pharmaceuticals and medical devices manufacturing.
“While we have mostly targeted international investors who have capacity to facilitate 100% export substitution, we will also cater for live and play investors in retail, catering and residential services,” Mogara said.
Fairgrounds – the fintech city – is set to position Botswana as the African headquarters for foreign direct investment, offering international finance, business processing outsourcing, insurance and fund management services.
SEZA is already in talks with global brands like JP Morgan, Tym Digital, HSBC and Deutsche Bank for possible investment at Fairgrounds. On the other hand, Lobatse will be a meat and leather city, with key economic activities being meat processing, dairy, biotechnology as well as finished leather goods for the fashion, automotive and household sectors. Mogara further expressed confidence that SEZA will transform Botswana’s economic landscape by increasing exports and reducing dependency on the mining sector.
It will also generate spill-over benefits to the rest of the economy, as export-oriented industries expand and domestic firms upskill in order to supply SEZ firms.
“With the kind of support that we are receiving from our board and government, I am confident that our SEZs will achieve far-reaching economic transformation,” Mogara said.