The Botswana Development Corporation, which is the investment arm of Botswana government, continues to scale opportunities in tourism as it seeks to bolster its presence in the sector.
This was said by the head of Public Affairs, Gomolemo Zimona.
Zimona was part of a BDC team of senior executives that travelled to Durban to attend the Indaba Travel and Tourism show organized by South African Tourism.
The fair brings in thousands of stakeholders from across the world.
Being the biggest travel and tourism show in Africa, Indaba fair is by far the continent’s biggest platform for interaction between different players that form the tourism value chain.
Speaking to Sunday standard, Zimona said there is a feeling within BDC that, depending on the need, the corporation should lend more money to those who find an opportunity in tourism.
“As you may be aware, BDC has a presence in tourism; we have properties that we are contracting out as well as four companies that we are collaborating with, including Cresta. We feel we should expand including by lending to those who see an opportunity to invest in tourism,” said Zimona.
He said Indaba offers BDC a platform to interact and meet with people who can make decisions instantly.
He said with the investment arm of the South African government, IDC now forcefully invests in Botswana, as BDC we felt that we too could invest in South Africa.
“This platform allows us to interact with potential investors who may want to come to us to ask for funds. In the horizon, we think our investments in tourism should go beyond just hotels and include such areas as fashion shows as a way of growing our footprint,” said Zimona.
This year’s Indaba was the third that BDC had participated in. Having previously participated under the tutelage of the Botswana Tourism Organisation, this year, the BDC decided to go it alone, said Zimona.
