Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship will continue rolling out the red carpet to those who choose Botswana as their investment destination, Assistant Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Mr Baratiwa Mathoothe has said.
Speaking at the official launch of Manhabo Ya Temo horticultural project in Molalatau recently, Assistant Minister Mathoothe said welcoming investors was in fulfilment of the ministry’s mandate of attracting investors to create the much-needed jobs, bring in foreign direct investment and reduce importation of goods and services.
Manhabo Ya Temo, a company of Zimbabwean origin but now operating in Botswana, commenced its operations in Botswana in early 2025. The company is producing a variety of vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, tomato and peas amongst others at their current location in Molalatau.
It is currently operating on a 29-hectare piece of land belonging to one Mr Obonye Maroba and there were five more farmers, with a total of 63 hectares of unused land in the catchment area, who are willing to lease their land to be part of the project and translate to a cumulative 92 hectares.
“I hear the investors are well-known and experienced farmers in Zimbabwe, who have exported vegetables to the European Union market, and I am therefore excited to see products originating from Molalatau entering the export market shortly,” said Mr Mathoothe at a gathering that bore testimony to what he termed the important milestone aimed at contributing to the food security and job creation in the region.
Manhabo Ya Temo, who were attracted to the region courtesy of SPEDU facilitation after meeting at the Global Expo some years back, will benefit from the tax incentives as well as the government’s 30 per cent off-take, according to the assistant minister.
“Setting up such a project in a small village like Molalatau, aligned with the commitment of the government to bring developments closer to the people and, as a result, managing rural-urban migration,” said Mr Mathoothe.
The assistant minister also expressed the government’s concerns over underutilised agricultural land that remained fallow. He said such underutilisation lowered the contribution of the crop sub-sector to the country’s gross domestic product.
“Leasing out land is highly encouraged, and investors should be highly accommodative to give Batswana an opportunity for partnerships or joint ventures,” the assistant minister said, adding that such a project should also deliver some skills transfer to the locals.
In the same vein, Kgosi Letso Malema of Molalatau called for skills transfer from the investors to the locals employed at the project. He appealed to those engaged to prioritise gaining skills over calling for fat salaries, arguing that acquired skills would remain with them even beyond the project.
“Such skills can even be passed to your children who may utilise them to eke a living,” Kgosi Malema said, appealing to neighbouring farmers to learn from Manhabo the best way to utilise land for vegetables and crop production.
The traditional leader called for establishment of crop produce cooperatives, a vehicle by which farmers would sell their produce expeditiously. He also advocated for establishment of processing facilities that could help create jobs in the horticultural value chain, an opportunity he said was presented by such large-scale farming of vegetables and crops.
“The launch of this farming project marks a significant transformative initiative within the agriculture sector, born from our collective vision for food security, economic growth, prosperous and resilient sustainable development,” Manhabo CEO, Ms Matilda Manhabo said.
Ms Manhabo said their wide range of vegetables were symbols of determination, resilience and commitment to producing quality food that fed not just local families, but also regional and international markets.
“We are also preparing for export by conducting market research, ensuring regulatory compliance, as well as developing our logistics and transportation networks,” she said about plans for a development that will usher in numerous benefits to Molalatau.
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