The Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) has expressed satisfaction with the attendance of international exhibitors at this year’s Global Expo Botswana, which attracted international exhibitors from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Brazil, Poland, Kenya, Slovenia and Nigeria.
BITC Chief Operations Officer, Letsebe Sejoe, told The Sunday Standard that cumulative business generated figure from 2006 since inception to date totaled P268 million. He said that the Expo has played a pivotal role in contributing towards the promotion of joint venture opportunities between Botswana companies and foreign investor companies
Sejoe pointed out that it is aligned with the country’s efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and economic diversification. He added that the Global expo also seeks to enhance exports of locally produced goods and enables market access for Botswana products into international markets.
“The Expo is multi sectoral and is not limited to any specific sector. This allows for diversity that will give broad opportunities for doing business for participating exhibitors and visitors,” said Sejoe.
He further stated that the Expo aims to provide a platform to foster greater inter-regional as well as international trade and investment, stimulate and inculcate a culture of entrepreneurship locally. He said it also encourages joint venture opportunities between foreign exhibitors and local companies as well as promote access into Botswana by foreign businesses and promote access for Botswana products into SADC and SACU regional markets.
“As Botswana’s leading International business showcase, Global Expo Botswana offers participants and visitors the opportunity to take stock and raise the stakes,” said Sejoe.
He also pointed out that in addition to the business matchmaking programme another value added to the GEB is an investment forum and workshops that are run to give exhibitors and visitors an insight to various opportunities for investment and export within the country and regionally.
“The Expo also powers diversity through development by harnessing technology for sustainable output,” he stated.
Sejoe said it is also for the businesses operating on a larger scale though there are normally small business exhibitors who want to grow their businesses. He also pointed out that the expo is for business-oriented individuals who want to market and advertise their products and services for long-term benefit and maintained that global expo Botswana is Botswana’s only international business-to-business exhibition.
The global expo took place after the recent merger of two parastatals, the Botswana International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and the Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA).
The theme for GEB 2012 was ‘Fostering Economic Diversification, Skills and Entrepreneurship’.
