BEDIA to embrace rural districts in FDI campaign

TUMELO SETSHOGO
Correspondent | Wednesday October 27, 2010 00:00

Newspapers recently carried BEDIA adverts titled Invitation to Tender for A Study to Map Investment Opportunities in District and Town Councils in Botswana. BEDIA is looking for consultants to undertake a comprehensive nationwide study of investment opportunities and map them out.

The study, according to the advert, is to identify, quantify and map out investment opportunities in all of Botswana's 16 district and town councils. 'The focus of this study is to identify investment opportunities in all regions of Botswana for investment promotion, both domestic and foreign,' the advert says.

The BEDIA advert comes at an opportune time after the 2010 Global Peace Index (GPI) recently ranked Botswana among the African continent's and the world's most peaceful countries. Placed at number 33 out of 149 countries in the survey, Botswana is well ahead of most European countries and the United States of America (USA), which is ranked 85.

BEDIA will be banking on international tools like GPI and other instruments to successfully market the country's investment opportunities at various district and town council level once the study is completed.

Most companies bringing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Botwsana operate mainly from Gaborone. A few of such companies have set up in Francistown and Selibe-Phikwe.

According to the latest BEDIA data, of the 46 FDI companies 33 are operating from Gaborone, two in Selibe-Phikwe, Francistown, Lobatse and Mogoditshane respectively, and one in Mochudi, Nata and Limpopo/Tuli respectively. 

The figures show that most district and town councils are lagging behind in terms of attracting FDI. District councils are the hardest-hit, with only Mochudi, Mogoditshane and Nata having attracted FDI so far..

Meanwhile, in an endeavour to attract more investors to Botswana, BEDIA will host this year's edition of Global Expo at the Botswana Business and Conference Centre at Fairgrounds in Gaborone in a month's time. This annual multi-sectoral business event is the country's premier international exhibition.

This year's edition - which will run from 17 to 20 November - will be themed Rewarding Results from Strategic Partnerships.