Bokomo looks to cut maize imports
Pauline Dikuelo | Friday October 27, 2017 13:07
Bokomo’s chief executive officer (CEO) Werner de Beer, said they strive to use raw materials produced by local farmers in their milling process.
“Local farmers need to produce more as we want to cut on the raw material importation. We strive by all means to use raw materials produced by local farmers in our milling process, this is in line with our aim to empower Batswana,” de Beer said.
He said as an company operating in Botswana, it is their responsibility to ensure that their business benefits the various stakeholders and the communities they serve in.
Currently Bokomo imports maize and sugar from South Africa while they get wheat from Slovakia.
Local millers consume a total of 120,000 tonnes of white maize per annum, of which the majority is imported from South Africa and other global suppliers such as the United States (US), Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Millers spend a maximum of P40 million buying local harvest while P450 million is spent on imports from South Africa and other global suppliers.
According to the CEO, over the last 13 years they have evolved to become one of the reputable fast moving consumer goods distributors.
“Over the years, Bokomo has evolved drastically, the 13-year milestone marks a time of reflection for the organisation, as it continues to maintain a great sense of legacy together with a renewed growth,” he said.
The company currently employs around 400 people who have played an active part in building the company.
He said that Bokomo has continued to maintain a strong footing in its distribution chain, as their products such as White Star Maize Meal, Bokomo flour and Pure Sugar continue to penetrate the various retail, wholesales and food service outlets across the country.
Bokomo was established in 2003 with the main focus of producing maize meal, flour and packaging sugar. The CEO said like every other organisation, Bokomo has had its fair share of business challenges over the 13-year period, but against all odds, the organisation has stood the test of time.
“The work carried out in the past is truly been commendable. Moving forward I wish to see Bokomo become a hub of excellence and efficiency with the work we carry out. Bokomo is where it is today because of a good work ethic culture, something which we wish to see directly impact on the national economy and ultimately Botswana’s global competitiveness leading to attraction of foreign investors,” he said.
Moving forward, the CEO said as Bokomo they aspire for continuous product development and innovation while also maintaining satisfactory standards in existing products.