President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 4 August, embark on a working visit to Botswana to lead talks at the high-level South Africa-Botswana Business Roundtable.

According to the President’s Office, the First Citizen will travel to Gaborone at the invitation of his Botswana counterpart, Dr Eric Mokgweetsi Masisi.

The high-level South Africa-Botswana Business Roundtable happens against the backdrop of the fifth session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) that took place on 22 April 2022 in Tshwane.

“The two neighbouring countries are this year marking 28 years of diplomatic and bilateral cooperation, which spans trade and investment, energy, agriculture, tourism, youth and sport, infrastructure development, culture, mining, defence and security, immigration, environmental conservation and management, transport as well as information and communication technologies,” the statement read.

The first leg of the two-day discussion will begin with the South Africa-Botswana Business Forum scheduled to take place on 3 August 2022.

The meeting will draw government and business leaders from both countries and identify a package of concrete actions to create a conducive environment to strengthen business-to-business linkages; support the implementation of Southern African Customs Union (SACU) regional value chains and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Meanwhile, 22 South African businesses from a wide range of sectors will form part of the trade expo of the businesses operating in both countries at the Gaborone International Convention Centre.

South Africa is Botswana’s number one source of imports, while Botswana ranked as South Africa’s seventh largest export market.

South Africa’s exports to Botswana were R64.4 billion in 2021, while exports to Botswana grew by 2.53% or R13.4 billion over the last five years.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, and Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Ebrahim Patel, will accompany President Ramaphosa.

Source: South African Government News Agency