03 Feb 2025

Woolworths Botswana has been encouraged to continue prioritising local empowerment by creating more opportunities for Batswana to actively participate in their business.

This could help enhance skills development programmes and even facilitate ways for locals to gain shares and own part of the business.

Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Mr Tiroeaone Ntsima stated this during a breakfast meeting in Gaborone yesterday and expressed gratitude to Woolworths for its unwavering commitment to excellence, quality and community engagements.

“Your efforts do not go unnoticed and we applaud you for creating a platform that is meaningful with conversations that ushers in positive change. We look forward to seeing even more initiatives that empower local communities and enhances stable growth,” he added.

By bringing together business experts and other key stakeholders to engage meaningfully around issues affecting the retail industry, the minister said Woolworths had demonstrated true leadership.

Your dedication to providing fresh and high quality products continuing to enhance our daily lives and we truly appreciate the positive impact on the community,” he said.

South Africa High Commissioner to Botswana, Ms Thaninga Shope-Soumah hailed the meeting as it provided an opportunity to share and exchange ideas on what needed to be done between Botswana and South Africa in terms of growing their economies.

“Our responsibility as ambassadors and high commissioners is to ensure that both countries have a win-win situation currently, there is 70 per cent, if not more, of imports coming into Botswana from South Africa. But it is not the same the other way round and we need to look at the win-win situation,” she said.

Ms Shope-Soumah encouraged Botswana and South African businesses to organise a business session and address the challenges they faced with regard to doing business in the two countries.

This, she said would require commitment of both countries to succeed.

Woolworths Botswana retail operations, executive and group director, Mr Burger van der Merwe thanked the ministers and the business community for taking time to appreciate Woolworths Botswana’s history, impact and what the business stood for.

With more than 40 years of trading in Botswana, Woolworths was committed to using the business stakeholder engagements to map its road forward in the country, Mr van der Merwe said.

“I am confident that today’s event is only the first of many. We will continue to work hard, with the government, as we continue to explore opportunities of collaboration going forward,” he said.

The meeting that also showcased some of the locally produced products sold at Woolworths, was also graced by, among others, the Ministers for State President and that of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Moeti Mohwasa and Major General (Rtd) Pius Mokgware, respectively. ENDS