Businesses prosper as a result of Cut 8

| Monday August 2, 2010 00:00

The project has seen an increase in Jwaneng's population and this has not only benefited major retailers but small vendors and farmers alike. Indeed the project has turned many dreams into reality, with entrepreneurs claiming that they are recording higher sales. Batswana are at the forefront of this business boom and many have been positioning themselves to take advantage of the Cut 8 project.

For instance, Getofeb Investments and Jwaneng Meat Market are Jwaneng-based business providing gardening services and fresh produce respectively, while Gaborone-based Cater Plus supplies processed food. Gerhard and Aleyda Meyer of Jwaneng Meat Market, are some of the citizens who have not only benefited directly from the project, but ensured that small farmers get value for their livestock. The couple runs a butchery, located in Jwaneng Mall, which has come a long way since it opened in 2003.

'The best part about the Cut 8 project is that it has not only empowered big businesses but even the small supplier on the street. Our butcher is benefiting a lot because we supply directly to the Contractors' Camp and therefore demand ha escalated.

'This means we buy from local farmers and ensure that they also benefit from the Project,' the Meyers said, adding that many of the local farmers have welcomed the demand for livestock meat on their end, especially because it saves them time and transportation costs to far-off abattoirs.

The Meyers added that the significant increase in business, as a result of the Cut 8 project, was a welcomed development in the wake of the economic recession.

'The Mine went through a bad period and as such businesses felt the sting as well. The other significant part of the project is that locals are benefiting from the demand for property and other commodities.'

The couple revealed that the boom has resulted in the mushrooming and expansion of different businesses and is creating a lot of employment opportunities for Batswana. Jwaneng Meat Market itself employs a number of Batswana.

The Meyers called on Batswana to appreciate the magnitude of the Cut 8 project and what it means to Botswana as a nation, saying that the billions of Pula invested in the project are testament to the size of the project and what it will bring to the table for citizens. They therefore implored everyone to tailor their businesses to take advantage.

'We did by ensuring that the butchery supplies good quality meat at good prices. We also try and get products that you cannot easily find around here.'

Sharing their sentiments is Lorato Balefile, a local vendor who sells products on the street. She narrates that she decided to take advantage by not competing with big retailers but rather finding her niche in selling small, fast moving products. She has thus seen significant returns from selling small, and adds that business has been good since Cut 8's launch.

Balefile also bemoans the effects of the recession, which threatened to derail her business.

'However, normalcy has returned and we are seeing a lot of returns, especially towards month-end when Jwaneng Mine employees, contractors and so forth are loaded.'

Balefile and the Meyers are not alone in reaping rewards of the new project. Cut 8 has contributed enormously to Jwaneng's economic growth through its multiplier effect on employment and infrastructure. The town is seeing a boom in terms of many different commodities that will meet the project's primary demands.

Some local companies engaged in Cut 8 include Geoflux - Engineering Audit for the Pharmacy Extension as well as updates of Social Impact Assessment for the project; Barloworld Equipment Botswana - Maintenance and Contract Labour; Dimension Data - Telecoms and Network Installation. Murray & Roberts Botswana Limited - Civil and Building works; Matcoy - Electrical Installation Contracts and Bokamoso Engineering - Relocation of Power Lines.

One does not have to look far to see that Jwaneng town is taking another shape, literally. The hospital is being expanded, new houses are springing up all over the town and at the heart of it all looms the small that is Cut 8 project.

The project is the largest ever single capital commitment in the private sector in Botswana.

Debswana will invest a total of P24 billion in this project, over the next 14 years taking into account all project stages, including feasibility, design, implementation and mining operations, as well as the cost of plant and equipment.

Cut 8 is a waste mining project which will strip 713  million tonnes of waste at a rate of 110 million tonnes per year in order to expose a further 75 million tonnes of ore and 95 million carats. 

The current mining operation is expected to have depleted ore by 2017, therefore with Cut 8, the life of Jwaneng Mine will be extended further by an additional seven years and maintain a minimum throughput of 10 million tonnes of ore per year from 2017 to 2024 (Article Courtesy Of Jwaneng Bulletin)