Course summary (Business in Botswana)
Botswana is advantageously situated in the heart of Southern Africa region with total market size of 200 million people. Botswana shares
borders with Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The population of Botswana (1.8 million) is growing at the rate 3.5% annually. Setswana and English
are main languages spoken in the Republic of Botswana.
Christianity is the most prevailing belief system in Botswana, with well over 60% of the population.
Botswana has achieved impressive economic efficiency over the past decades. The
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) - Economic report on Africa-, places
the Republic of Botswana in the lead of
5 other countries of Africa that have made most progress in developing policies that promote economic growth, with the
objective of reducing poverty.
The economy of the Republic of Botswana is still dependent on the mining sector,
particularly
diamonds.
The Republic of Botswana is member of the Southern African development Community (SADC)
-
an International trade organization which gives access to a
potential market of 200 million people- ,
SADC has its headquarters in Gaborone. The recently SADC Protocol on International trade is
planned to liberalize
regional trade by assuring reciprocal
market access among member countries.
The Republic of Botswana has preferential access to the European Union through the Cotonou Agreement and
to the United States through the
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Botswana is also member of the Southern Africa Customs Union
(SACU : South Africa, Botswana,
Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland). Southern Africa Customs Union is negotiating several trade agreements with other regions, the most advanced being the SACU-United States Free trade area (FTA) negotiations. SACU is
also negotiating Free Trade Agreements with the European Free trade agreement (EFTA), MERCOSUR, India and
the People's Republic of China.
Botswana is also member of the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
Example of the course doing business in Botswana:
The Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority is an
autonomous private sector led organization to promote
and make easy the establishment of export-oriented
companies.
The government's policies of Botswana include strategies that maximize productivity and add value throughout economy increase flows of Foreign direct investment (FDI)
by an attractive and transparent fiscal and operating environment, and enhance
marketing products
of Botswana through coordinated
export promotion.
Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd is a sole partnership between the Government of the Republic of Botswana and De Beers Centenary AG.
Botswana Telecommunications corporation (BTC) was founded in 1980 to
supply, develop, work and manage national and International telecommunications services. BTC is a parastatal in which the Botswana government holds 100% equity.
