29 Jul 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has advised the recently appointed  Botswana Consular General Designate to South Africa, Mr Yandani Boko to advocate for improved trade relations between the two countries during his tenure.

Speaking during a courtesy meeting yesterday, President Masisi said it was important to buttress the prominence of building and strengthening strategic trade dimensions given the strong bilateral and historic ties between Botswana and South Africa.

He said there was a lot of trade imbalance between the two countries and urged Mr Boko to strive to close the gap that exists.

“One of the key area of focus during your tenure in South Africa should be on improving the trade relations between the two countries and to channel resources towards prospective investment sectors that prevails between the two,” President Masisi said.

He said although it was a worldwide conceptual commonplace that products from bigger and more industrialised economies would dominate trade markets of the non-industrialised countries, it was his hope that the monopolistic industrial and commercial dominance would not persist indefinitely in relations between Botswana and South Africa.

He noted that the trade landscape between Botswana and South Africa remained skewed in favour of the latter and that it should improve.

He said Botswana was equally resolute on industrialisation and value addition and that improved trade diplomacy would be pivotal towards attaining the country’s industrialisation drive.

“It is therefore important to focus on Botswana’s economic relations with South Africa since Botswana is more able and resolute in its commitment to industrialise,” he said.

President Masisi said the onus was on Mr Boko to work tirelessly to improve Botswana’s exports to South Africa and the rest of the world in terms of volume, variety and value, adding that the country aimed to do this by participating in bilateral value chains with South Africa.

He said there was need to engage South Africa for them to appreciate the importance of levelling the trade playing field and to make them understand the motive behind the vegetable importation ban within the SACU framework which allows for protection of infant local industries.  

For his part, Mr Boko said he was humbled by the honour to serve Botswana and promised to serve the nation to the best of his abilities.

He also vowed to advance Botswana’s interests and to ensure that the country became a force to be reckoned with both regionally and internationally. ENDS