11 Apr 2024

Botswana envoys have been requested to help lure investors to Botswana, but with deliberate bias towards SPEDU region, a hub for citrus projects.

The investors, it is said, can help in areas of value chain development where there are numerous business opportunities for both pre-harvest and post-harvest activities.

Value chain development, it is said, will give birth to the much needed jobs whilst also ensuring domestication of some processes like juice-making.

Although the region has other citrus projects across it, the Selebi  Phikwe citrus project is a major development which exports 70 per cent of the produce,  leaving 30 per cent for local market.

While currying favour with the envoys, leadership in the SPEDU region appealed that the former be systematically biased towards the region that was still grappling with effects of BCL mine closure which led to job losses amongst other things.

On Wednesday during the tour of the Mannaesi farm, sitting on 1 500 hectares of land belonging to Mmadinare Multipurpose Cooperative Society, and boasting a total investment of P500 million to date, the Botswana envoys were also requested to present SPEDU region as a citrus hub brimming with opportunities.

“May I request the ambassadors that while promoting Botswana as the destination of choice for investors you specifically mention SPEDU region as the preferred final destination of choice which has all the incentives a business could aspire to have,” SPEDU caretaker chief executive officer, Ms Lesedi Kgotlele appealed to the envoys, who are currently attending biennial heads of mission conference to deliberate on ways and means to promote the interests of Botswana abroad.

Ms Kgotlele appealed to them to lure more investors into the region for citrus value chain development or related activities.

The SPEDU caretaker CEO also requested for promotion and exposure of other citrus projects in the region ‘taking into account the different requirements of the existing protocols.’

Following the launch of the first harvest by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in March, six consignments of lemon have since been sent to different markets as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Canada, making a total of 120 tonnes.

Although several strides have been made, and at advanced stages, to secure access to six protocol markets like European Union, the US and China and 18 permit markets around the world, the envoys were challenged to join the quest of establishing more markets for the citrus produce.

She said there was need to exploit fully the opportunities within the citrus industry and create further exports from secondary industries ‘and thus more job opportunities for Batswana.’

Making an appeal to the envoys, Selebi Phikwe Town Council’s deputy mayor, Mr Molefhe Molatlhegi said “We hope that when you get back to your missions you’ll devise ways in which you can assist us here in Selebi Phikwe on how best we could find investors ready to do business in our area”.

“We have properly maintained roads…we have a railway line that goes directly into the industrial area. We also have an airport though it is not of international standards,” he added.

At the same tour where heads of Botswana missions observed and gathered ideas and suggestions on how they could ‘best enhance the fortunes of this very important project,’ Botswana’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Philda Kereng responded to calls from the SPEDU region leadership.

Back in Nigeria, Ms Kereng will be seized with sourcing market for the citrus produce, a huge task of economic diplomacy where she and others would engage with investors and their governments with a view of presenting Botswana as a country of choice to invest in.

Preliminary findings by Ms  Kereng are that Nigeria is a big consumer of citrus fruits with a citrus industry at an advanced level, auguring well for impartation of skills and value chain development. ENDS