BITC lures South African investors
Staff Writer | Thursday June 23, 2016 14:55
Speaking at a BITC - Botswana Business Seminar in Johannesburg, South Africa hosted by the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Thema said South African businesses do a lot of trade with Botswana, and that it could grow if they were to invest and set-up in Botswana. He said Botswana has over the years proven to be a safe, stable and secure investment destination that offers various opportunities that foreign investors can look into.
Thema encouraged delegates to explore the available opportunities through BITC, which has been set up to among others promote Botswana, attract FDI and promote Botswana products.
He highlighted that government has facilitated for BITC to hand hold potential investors if they wish to set-up in Botswana. BITC would see them through all government processes to ensure smooth and timely processing of all clearances, work permits, factory space, land permits and other relevant licences.
Presenting on the opportunities in Botswana, BITC director – strategy and competiveness, Keletsositse Olebile buttressed that business between Botswana and South Africa can grow even further if South African businesses would set up in Botswana rather than just sell to Botswana.
He said Botswana still depends on South Africa for some products, saying those are the sectors that they seek to attract investment to Botswana in. Olebile said, despite the relatively small population of two million, Botswana has preferential access to the 250 million people in the SADC market that companies that set-up in Botswana can tap into.
He said Botswana’s central location, investor-friendly environment and the fact that there are some sectors that are still open for businesses should attract South African investors.
Olebile also outlined the various investment opportunities in the country, among them mining beneficiation, the leather sector, automotive and automobile sector, agriculture, the financial services sector and added that Botswana through the BITC is ready to engage and unpack the available opportunities to suitors.
The BITC-Botswana Business seminar was held alongside the Southern African International Trade Exhibition for Retail products – SAITEX 2016, which ran from June 19 to 22 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
BITC had taken along eight companies; Alpha Access, Kalahari Floor Tiles, Can Manufacturers, Foods Botswana, Glam Collections, Botswana Meat Commission, Ali Boats and PotFid Furniture, to seek business opportunities.