A dialogue on doing business in Botswana
RANDPARK RIDGE – Members of the Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry were educated on why doing business in Botswana would be beneficial to both countries.
The Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) was hosted to an executive dialogue on doing business in Botswana by delegates of the country at Randpark Golf Club.
In his official address, his excellency Lesedi Thema, the Botswana Consul General in South Africa, said the key objective for the event was to promote and market Botswana, targeting members of the RCCI with strict interest in doing business within any of the productive services in Botswana. “I sincerely believe that as neighbours we have a lot more in common than not, while the problems that confront our countries are real, they are equally not insurmountable, they can be solved.” It is his firm belief that the two countries can work closely together to increase investment and trade between them.
Linda Blackbeard, the chamber’s CEO, said this event would open doors for larger, medium and small businesses, irrespective of whether one’s company is selling a tangible product or service. “Whether you are looking for agencies, joint ventures with people in Botswana or looking into doing a franchise, the opportunities are there,” said Blackbeard.
She added that the possibility of purchasing from Botswana and bringing products across the boarder are a definite plus. “We need to start doing business with our continent, and hence, why we have the continental free trade making it easier for people within the continent.”
Blackbeard added it is important to engage with the Southern African Development Community (Sadac) to look into business opportunities.
From Botswana, Blackbeard said, South Africa could learn peacefulness, friendliness and an even better work ethic. “Everything the Botswana people have they have worked for and their willingness to actually accept the knowledge and opportunities that South Africa has is a great trait to have.”
She added that South Africans should not always think they are the ‘be all end all’ within the continent.
President of the chamber, Danie Bezuidenhout, said Botswana offers more opportunities than our country realises. “We need to understand how easy it is to do business in Botswana, they have a small population and high per capita volumes.”
Botswana also features on the list of top 10 countries of the least corruption in the world, which in Bezuidenhout’s opinion is all things we can learn from as a country. Such events offer huge hope which is important for South Africans as they tend to focus on the doom and the gloom and forget there is hope. Chambers offer locals the opportunity to work with people from other countries as they have access to systems that ensure you would be dealing with legitimate businesses.
Related article:
Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry broadens its reach
