Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana is committed to building a nation empowered by digital technology, developing an export-driven industrial structure and ensuring that growth remains inclusive and human-centred.
Speaking at the Entrepreneur’s Forum in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Botswana and China recently, Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Mr Tiroeaone Ntsima said that as the economy evolved, Botswana recognised the need for transformation, moving from raw material exports to value-added manufacturing, from quantity to quality and from dependency to self-sustaining growth.
Mr Ntsima highlighted key areas where Botswana sought to deepen cooperation with Chinese partners; technology, digitalisation and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He noted that in fast-evolving fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and deep tech, global innovation was advancing rapidly.
“Botswana stands ready to partner with Chinese universities, research institutions and technology firms to build talent-development platforms, joint innovation labs and start-up incubators,” he said.
Mr Ntsima also extended an invitation to the Chinese government to offer scholarships, training programmes and exchange opportunities for staff of his ministry and related institutions.
He explained that such initiatives would enable young entrepreneurs to learn the latest technologies, participate in innovation practices in China and return home equipped to drive Botswana’s digital entrepreneurship agenda.
The minister added that Botswana’s abundant natural resources, stable governance environment and strong regional export potential made it an ideal partner for Chinese manufacturing firms.
“We welcome collaboration with Chinese companies to introduce advanced manufacturing processes, smart production systems and green industrial technologies into Botswana. Together, we can establish export-oriented manufacturing hubs, transition from raw output to processed and branded goods and strengthen our value chains,” he said.
Mr Ntsima further called on Chinese investors, mentors and incubators to partner with Botswana’s SMEs, facilitating technology transfer, supply-chain integration and market access.
Such partnerships he said would allow Botswana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to access Chinese capital, technology and markets, while Chinese firms gained local insight and regional reach.
Reflecting on the 50 years of China-Botswana relations, Mr Ntsima said the two nations have built strong foundations of diplomatic trust, economic cooperation, cultural and educational exchange.
He encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest, partner and co-create with Botswana’s entrepreneurs, establishing joint ventures, sharing technology, localising operations and building value chains together.
For his part, China’s ambassador to Botswana, Mr Fan Yong, expressed gratitude to Botswana for its long-term dedication and steadfast support of the bilateral relationship. He noted that China and Botswana’s friendship had evolved into a strategic partnership over the past five decades.
“Over the past 50 years, mutual benefit has been the foundation of our flourishing cooperation, our nations have become good friends who treat each other as equals and reliable partners, our economic collaboration in infrastructure, trade, telecommunications and mineral exploration has grown increasingly close.” he said.
Ambassador Fan stated that as a major contributor to global economic growth and an anchor of stability, China would continue to expand institutional openness, uphold multilateralism and promote broader international economic flows.
He said that in the first eight months of this year, China imported approximately US$4 billion worth of agricultural products from Africa, marking a 4.8 per cent increase from last year.
Ambassador Fan expressed hope that the policy would soon benefit Botswana, by opening a fast channel for its high-quality products to enter the market in China.
He emphasised that China and Botswana must remain trustworthy partners, develop together and foster mutual understanding, reinforcing political trust, integrating development strategies and delivering shared prosperity.
Ambassador Fan also reiterated China’s commitment to supporting and encouraging more enterprises from China, both public and private, to actively participate in projects initiated under Botswana’s BETP and NDP12, thereby creating more job opportunities for Batswana.
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