Your Excellency, President Duma Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana,
Your Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa,
Honourable Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Republic of Botswana, Hon. Tiroeaone Ntsima
Fellow Ministers and Deputy Ministers present,
Senior Officials and CEOs
Captains of industry, business leaders and entrepreneurs from both our nations,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dumelang
It is an honour to stand before you today in Gaborone at this Business Forum, held on the margins of the 6th Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission. This Forum serves as a platform geared towards placing the private sector and our common goals at the centre of bilateral relations between our two nations.
As it is the private sector, businesses, that provide the dignity of jobs for our people, it is our role as government is to create a predictable and enabling environment for you to operate and thrive.
The ties between our nations run deep. South Africa remains Botswana’s largest source of imports and its second-largest export destination. This carries both opportunity and responsibility. South Africa is keen to continually invest in Botswana’s productive capacity; participate in Botswana’s growth sectors and help build a bilateral economic relationship that generates shared economic growth and prosperity.
Major South African institutions are already present in Botswana and, since January 2003, thirty (30) South African companies have collectively invested in Botswana and created a combined capital investment of approximately R13.3 billion.
South Africa’s relationship with Botswana is one that has been defined by mutual effort for joint benefit. Investment trends point toward joint ventures and partnerships with Botswana’s companies, including smaller enterprises. Research consistently shows that these joint ventures produce significant benefits that includes technology transfer, skills development and deeper market access. We must be decisive in our efforts to ensure that we maintain and replicate this model going forward.
The South African Government is therefore committed to supporting South African companies that seek to explore opportunities in Botswana. We will work with our counterparts in Botswana to improve access and create a predictable pathways for cross-border investment.
While there are many opportunities for investment, three areas do stand out.
Diamond beneficiation is one.
Botswana’s Diamond Hub, with its 28 licensed cutting and polishing companies, provides a foundation. South Africa’s technical and financial infrastructure enabled beneficiation at scale. Together, we have the foundation for a hub that can be transformative to the region. This is a good example that instead of competing against one another, we identify each of our strengths in the value chain and form partnerships for our mutual benefit.
Agriculture is another area. Botswana has committed significant investment to the Zambezi Agro-Commercial Development Project. Studies indicate this project is economically viable as it has the potential to create more than 2,600 permanent jobs as well as produce approximately 160,000 tonnes of cereals and oilseeds annually.
A third area is transport and logistics. An important sector were public private partnership can really make a positive impact because we must be able to move cargo across our two countries and beyond.
As government we have much to do to improve infrastructure, structural constraints, and the regulatory environment to name but a few areas. To achieve this, we must now move past dialogue and drafting of plans and agreements, and start with implementation and action. I believe that is what businesses want from government and what our citizens expect from us.
And while there may be some challenges and obstacles, none are too large to overcome.
As was demonstrated during the 6th session of the BNC, both countries are committed to constructive engagement to resolving issues that affect our economic engagements.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I trust your networking and business engagements this morning were fruitful and relationships were established and existing investment and business built upon.
And last but certainly not least, to the women-owned businesses and youth-led companies represented here today: thank you for your presence, your ambition and your willingness to participate in shaping the economic future of our region.
Inclusive growth requires more than policy commitments. It requires ensuring that emerging businesses are able to access markets, build partnerships and participate meaningfully in regional value chains.
The future of African trade will increasingly be shaped by entrepreneurs who are prepared to innovate, collaborate and build across borders. Many of those people are in this room today.
In conclusion, allow me to take this opportunity to commend our relationship as neighbours and strategic partners in the evolution of African Economic Development. The decisions made in this room today will contribute to that evolution. They will create jobs. They will build industries. They will position both our countries as serious participants in the continental economy that the African Continental Free Trade Area is creating. Let’s move from talk to action.
Ladies and Gentleman, I now introduce a leader who has been at the forefront of advancing South Africa’s economic diplomacy and strategic partnerships regionally and internationally. His leadership and continued commitment to strengthening regional economic cooperation, deepening intra-African trade and advancing investment-led growth across our continent and the globe have been instrumental in reinforcing the strategic partnership between our two countries and many others.
Please join me in welcoming, the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, to deliver the keynote address.
I thank you.
Ke a leboga.
Share this:
