Gaborone, 4 August 2022 (TDI): South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa visited Gaborone at the invitation of Dr. Eric Mokgweetsi Masisi, the President of the Republic of Botswana.
President Ramaphosa was accompanied by the Minister for International Trade and Cooperation, Dr. Naledi Pandor, as well as the Minister for Trade, Industry, and Competition, Ebrahim Patel.
South Africa-Botswana High Level Business Roundtable #BetterAfricaBetterWorld https://t.co/57bl3gAN01
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 4, 2022
President of South Africa led talks at High-Level South Africa-Botswana Business Forum. The High-Level South Africa-Botswana Business Forum happened in the context of the fifth session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission that took place on 22 April 2022 in Tshwane.
Agenda of Business Forum
South Africa-Botswana Business Forum took place on 3 August 2022. The forum attracted business and government leaders from both countries.
Notably, the main focus of the forum was to take concrete actions that enable us to create an environment to strengthen business-to-business linkages between companies.
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation gave his remarks at the event, “I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all to Botswana- South Africa Business Forum, which forms part of our celebrations of 28 years of trade and investment relations between our two countries”.
Twenty-two South African companies belonging to a wide range of sectors were part of the trade exhibition for companies in both countries at the business forum in Gaborone.
Furthermore, the implementation of the regional value chains of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was also a part of the agenda of the business forum.
South Africa-Botswana Relations
Both countries have 28 years long history of diplomatic and bilateral cooperation. Also, the two neighboring countries have bilateral relations that span different areas.
It includes cooperation in trade and investment, tourism, and security, environmental conservation, immigration, along with technologies.
Moreover, South Africa is Botswana’s main source of imports. On the other hand, Botswana is the seventh largest export market in South Africa.
In addition, Minister Pandor is expected to speak at South Africa- Botswana Heritage Day Celebration. As the event is scheduled on 5 August 2022 at King Keitsung Monument, in Lobatse, Botswana.
