Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister, Alexandra Abrahams, has called for a stronger implementation-driven approach to bilateral economic cooperation focused on investment, industrialisation and regional value chains between South Africa and Botswana.
Speaking at the South Africa-Botswana Business Forum in Gaborone on Thursday, the Deputy Minister emphasised that economic growth and job creation must remain at the centre of regional cooperation efforts.
The Business Forum took place on the margins of the 6th Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) that was co-chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterpart, Advocate Duma Boko. The commission was held on the last day of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s two-day State Visit to the country’s Southern African neighbour this week.
READ | President Ramaphosa concludes SA-Botswana BNC
The forum brought together government leaders, business executives, investors and entrepreneurs from both countries.
In his address to the business forum, President Ramaphosa said that business “has a central role in achieving our ambitions for shared and sustainable prosperity” and that the economic interests of both countries are closely intertwined.
The Deputy Minister said that government has to create the right environment for businesses to thrive.
“As it is the private sector, businesses that provide the dignity of jobs for our people; it is our role as government to create a predictable and enabling environment for you to operate and thrive,” said Abrahams.
The Deputy Minister noted that South Africa and Botswana possess complementary economic strengths that create opportunities for deeper collaboration across sectors such as mineral beneficiation, agriculture, logistics and infrastructure development.
She highlighted diamond beneficiation as a strategic area for cooperation, noting that both countries have the capacity to build regional industrial value chains that move beyond the export of raw materials.
“Instead of competing against one another, we identify each of our strengths in the value chain and form partnerships for our mutual benefit,” she said.
Abrahams further underscored the importance of improving infrastructure connectivity, reducing regulatory friction and creating greater certainty for investors and businesses operating across borders.
“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.”
She further welcomed ongoing efforts between the two countries to strengthen cooperation on transport corridors, border modernisation, industrial development and trade facilitation.
She indicated that practical implementation of cross-border projects would be critical to unlocking regional competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Abrahams also stressed the importance of ensuring that regional economic integration delivers opportunities for smaller businesses, women-owned enterprises and youth entrepreneurs.
“Inclusive growth requires policy commitments and ensuring that emerging businesses are able to access markets, build partnerships and participate meaningfully in regional value chains,” she said.
The South Africa-Botswana Business Forum forms part of broader bilateral efforts to deepen trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries, while advancing regional integration and economic growth across Southern Africa. -SAnews.gov.za
