Under the auspices of true partnership, and to celebrate 50 years of independence, key representatives from the Botswana Government will tour three cities in the United States to engage captains of industry in the US market in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. The tour is a collaborative effort with The De Beers Group of Companies, The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources and the Botswana Development Corporation. De Beers play a key role in the country’s diamond mining industry in an effort to support and collaborate with Botswana to promote economic diversification and business opportunities.

Botswana became a sovereign nation in 1966 and is considered one of the most stable, peaceful and transparent countries on the African continent, being consistently rated the least corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International. The country is committed to sound fiscal policy, economic freedom and has a steady growth rate. It is ranked as the world’s most attractive investment location by New York University’s Altman Baseline Profitability Index (BPI).

“50 years of independence is a remarkable milestone and we are proud to showcase our country’s unique offering to business leaders to highlight the opportunities that exist in Botswana as a springboard into the rest of the continent,” says Honourable Kitso Mokaila, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Republic of Botswana.

The tour will focus on engaging strategic industries for investment including the mining and energy, tourism, ICT, innovation and information technology, communication, services and automotive sectors. Growth opportunities for foreign investors include trade and tourism as well as financial and government services, with medium-term growth prospects existing in the mining, steel manufacturing and horticultural sectors.

“The successful relocation of our international sales operation from London to Gaborone is testament to the ease of doing business in Botswana, and De Beers enjoy a truly collaborative and mutually beneficial business partnership that has proved sound and that we hope to continue in the years to come,” says Mr. Gareth Mostyn, Executive Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at The De Beers Group of Companies.

The country boasts one of the fastest growth rates per capita in the world, with the highest sovereign credit rating, being named the Second Freest Economy in Africa, providing investors with preferential access to the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) 230 million people marketplace. The workforce is well educated, with English being spoken broadly and an 82% literary rate and very little labour tension. There are also no foreign exchange controls or restrictions on business ownership.

“Our focus is on innovation as we continue to pioneer and unlock value in existing sectors in Botswana. Our strategic focus as the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) is to encourage business opportunities for sustainable investments and we are excited to engage and explore partnerships with US based businesses focused on key strategic sectors of Botswana’s economy such as infrastructure, energy, innovation and agriculture, amongst others,” says Mr. Bashi Gaetsaloe Managing Director of Botswana Development Corporation.