Africa-Press – Botswana. To harness opportunities presented bythe ongoing Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) Local Manufacturing Summit, local manufacturers need to whole-heartedly embrace innovation, which will in turn catalise growth.
In his welcome remarks at the maiden the local manufacturing summit, president of BCM Mr Montwedi Mphathi said the mining sector’s rapid growth necessitated a synchronised effort for manufacturers to meet demands of the mining industry.
As the sector expands, he said there arose a tremendous scope for manufacturers’ community to supply it with cutting edge equipment, advanced machinery and innovative technologies to foster competitiveness.
He said it was imperative for manufacturers to continuously explore new frontiers, leverage emerging technologies, integrate sustainable practices into their processes to ensure enhanced efficiency, and that products were aligned with existing standards of the mining sector.
Mr Mphathi said collaboration was another recipe for success.
“Together we can bridge the gap between the manufacturing and mining industry and ensure a seamless flow of knowledge, expertise and resources.
He said collaboration fostered a spirit of partnership, where ideas would be exchanged freely for a collective solutions leading to a win for all parties involved.
Mr Mphathi said strategic partnerships unlocked full potential for the manufacturing sector by forging alliances with local businesses, international corporations, research institutions and government agencies to harness an array of opportunities.
He said strategic partnerships would not only open new markets, but would also drive knowledge transfer, technology exchange and sustainable projects.
He said the transformative mindset would empower stakeholders to invest in human capital, facilitate skills and knowledge transfer, and explore sustainable practices, steer the industry towards long-term growth and establish the country as a trail blazer in African manufacturing.
He said the summit offered a unique platform for showcasing what had been achieved and engaged with industry leaders, visionaries and policy makers to benefit both mining and manufacturing sectors.
Initially, Mr Mphathi said BCM was an informal group of miners seeking to collaborate on improving safety and promoting the use of first aid in the workplace.
He said the mission of BCM has evolved from what it used to stand for during its humble beginnings, specifically looking after the interests of its members by influencing policies to build a robust and competitive industry.
Mr Mphathi said another BCM initiative with great promise was the development of industry-ready graduates from the mines technical colleges.
He said safety in the mining workplace had improved to a standard of zero harm.
Additionally, he said the BCM was looking into building a hazardous waste disposal facility.
Currently, he said all hazardous waste was exported for disposal.
Meanwhile, Mr Mphathi said the theme of the summit, which speaks to the road to resilience through innovation, collaboration and strategic partnerships encapsulated the essence of their collective pursuits.
He said it reflected commitment of BCM members to overcome challenges, embrace innovation, foster collaboration and establish strategic alliances that would not only fortify the sector, but also grow the manufacturing sector.
Mr Mphathi said it was also important to recognise the pivotal role the mining sector was playing in growing and diversifying the economy of the country.
He said the mining industry had been the cornerstone of the nation’s growth, contributing 45 per cent of Gross Development Product in 2001.
Although contribution of the sector has reduced to about 12 per cent by 2020 due to growth of other sectors, combined with the challenges of drop in prices of the sale of minerals, he said the current expansion of the sector was presenting opportunities for local manufacturers.
He said the story of mining and manufacturing collaboration started in earnest in 2014 when BCM resolved to leverage on the size of procurement spend of its members to develop local suppliers by encourage them to transform from only trading in finished goods, to go the route of manufacturing in order to create jobs.
Such, Mr Mphathi said, led to BCM procurement and supply chain managers to form Chamber of Mines Business Development Forum (CoMBDF), the initiative he said had gathered momentum to grow to another level, hence the current summit.
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