Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • End of an era: ISPAAD expires after 14 years

    Assistant Agriculture minister, Molebatsi Molebatsi is speaking to a room mostly composed of smallholder farmers and those involved in the agriculture supply chain such as seed and fertiliser manufacturers. It is unlikely that communal farmers, the...

  • Govt boosts project spending as growth slows

    The economy rebounded strongly after the 2020 COVID-19 shock, recording 11.8 percent growth in 2021-22 and a higher than expected 6.7 percent for 2022-23. However, the continued recovery is threatened by the possibility of a slowdown in the global...

  • De Beers’ sales soften to $450m

    Preliminary receipts from the first auction this year, held in Gaborone were, however, higher than the $417 million seen from the last auction of 2022.Outgoing CEO, Bruce Cleaver said sightholders, the exclusive list of buyers contracted for De...

  • Gov’t ponders cooking oil import ban

    The ministries of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship are studying whether the country’s farmers and manufacturers have enough capacity that could allow government to restrict the importation of cooking oil.Assistant Agriculture minister, Molebatsi...

  • Debswana sales hit all-time high at P57bn

    Bank of Botswana data released this week indicates that Debswana’s sales were nearly 50% higher year-on-year, a trend the Finance ministry has attributed to a rebound in global economic activity and sanctions on the world-leading rough diamond...

  • Botswana eyes AfCFTA breakthrough

    AfCFTA, which came into operation last year, is an African Union trade deal that grants easier access to the continent’s 1.2 billion people who collectively represent a market valued at more than $2.6 trillion.President Mokgweetsi Masisi signed...

  • Mid-season dry spell returns to haunt farmers

    It was all moving along swimmingly. After the Meteorological Services Department released its forecasts for the season, farmers actually saw the heavens open and the rains come down as predicted.“A moderately wet season is expected over the entire...

  • Panda farmers look forward to bumper harvest

    With about 40,000 hectares of prime black cotton soil and one of the country’s highest average rainfall amounts, the Pandamatenga commercial agriculture area is an arable farming paradise. And this year the area has again delivered the goods for...

  • Millions of Pula slip through gov't fingers

    Figures from the Accountant General’s office indicate that the trend of millions of Pula being lost in the public coffers through arrears, unreconciled imprests, financial and property losses as well as widespread weaknesses in recovery continue to...

  • Gov’t pushes limits with P2.4bn debt target

    The auction of three treasury bills and two bonds by the Bank of Botswana (BoB) falls under the P30 billion domestic borrowing programme approved by Parliament in September 2020 and designed to plug budget gaps while improving the capital market’s...

  • De Beers, gov’t talks enter last lap

    BusinessWeek is informed that with the negotiations having dragged on for five years, finalising a deal by June is seen as key to settling market jitters that have grown, fuelled by speculation about why the industry’s major players are yet to wrap...

  • Maseko murder: A fresh low for Eswatini

    “Greetings of the New Year my bro. Pls don’t forget us in Swaziland!”I received this message from Thulani Maseko last January, my final communication with him. At the time, Eswatini was still simmering from yet another outbreak of unrest from...

  • EU chief hails partnership with Botswana

    Mmegi: Kindly elaborate on the reasons for the visit to Botswana and what position this country holds in terms of strategic interest or importance to the European Union?Borrell: The EU and Botswana are like-minded partners.We share an excellent...

  • Choppies moves to take over Kamoso

    According to filings made public by the Competition and Consumer Authority this week, CDC, which is Choppies’ operations unit in Botswana, hopes to secure approval for the Kamoso takeover which will grant access to the group’s well-known...

  • Top EU chief arrives in Botswana

    Borrell, who is officially the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as well as the Vice President of the European Commissioner, will visit the two countries between January 26 and 29.“The visit will serve to strengthen...

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