Business Botswana Engages AFDB Team On Private Sector Growth Strategy
10 Jul, 2025
Yesterday, Business Botswana hosted a high-level consultative meeting with the African Development Bank (AfDB) team, currently in the country for its Country Capacity Assessment and Diagnostic Study Mission. The mission will inform the development of the Bank’s next Country Strategy Paper (CSP), a key framework shaping future engagement with both the government and the private sector.
The discussions focused on assessing the investment climate, identifying constraints to private sector growth, and aligning efforts with the government’s transformation agenda to unlock opportunities for economic transformation.
Business Botswana Sector chairpersons, representing finance, education, engineering, printing and publishing, and professional services, outlined persistent challenges impacting private sector growth outlined persistent challenges impacting private sector growth. Among the key areas discussed were:
- Implementation gaps in national reforms, with a need to improve coordination, efficiency, and responsiveness across relevant public sector institutions;
- Delays and inefficiencies in the processing of work and residence permits, which hinder the timely recruitment of skilled labour and affect business operations;
- Advocated for rationalisation and eventual privatisation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to enhance efficiency and competitiveness, while preserving citizen empowerment and promoting inclusive economic growth; and
- Strengthening follow-through on public-private initiatives, to ensure that agreed reforms translate into tangible outcomes for the business community.
Sector chairpersons also expressed concerns about the low adoption of renewable energy solutions like rooftop solar, citing high installation costs and limited access to financing. They also highlighted untapped opportunities in key value chains such as beef, agro-processing, economic resilience, and diversification.
Looking ahead, Mr. Mpaphi Tsholofelo, Head of Policy and Research at Business Botswana, emphasised the need to shift from traditional Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) to a more strategic Public-Private International Dialogue (PPID) framework. He noted that this would enable more effective partnerships with global development institutions, attract foreign investment, and leverage blended financing mechanisms to support private sector-led growth.
The AfDB team reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Botswana’s development aspirations, with particular focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability.