30th November 2020
Own Correspondent
The role of SMEs in economic growth, job creation and economic and social cohesion is recognized the world over due to their significant contribution to various socio-economic objectives, and Botswana is no exception stakeholders were informed during the Buy Botswana Expo and Thought Leadership Conference sponsored by PPC Botswana at Travel Lodge.
The Expo designed to further catapult local manufacturers and service providers based on Theme ‘Digitization: Small to Medium Enterprises and the Future,’ was urged to embrace ICT.
“Technological advancements can help SMEs remodel their existing business and take advantage of existing and new opportunities. At BTC, we understand this, and we have initiatives in place to support SMEs to make large contributions to vital economic indicators as well as household incomes,” said Anthony Masunga, Managing Director of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation(BTC).
He said, “In the last few years, BTC has touched all the economic sectors in all parts of the country anchored by its wide network coverage and fast internet speeds. From the Nteletsa Project in 1999, which brought services to previously underserved remote areas, to the launch of our mobile network in 2008, to being Botswana’s leading network with over 400 4.5G sites, enveloping all corners of the country not just major towns and cities.”
According to Masunga BTC’s Data Centre is certified by the global data centre standard bearer – Uptime Institute and is a first for the Botswana market. As the first and only Uptime Tier Certified Data Centre in Botswana, it not only houses BTC’s mission critical IT infrastructure and applications, it also acts as a colocation facility for our customers particularly SMEs.
“The introduction of VSAT technologies to an already robust network infrastructure has meant that small businesses far away from the national grid are connected anywhere and everywhere.Farmers and hoteliers deep in the Okavango Delta, have benefited immensely from the innovation,” said Masunga.
He said, “Market access, finance, bookings and strategy for SMEs have all been made easy through BTC’s presence in hostile terrains perceived unthinkable by mainstream networks. Those in major cities enjoy fibre to the premise, which reach up to 200 mpbs.”
BTC insists it introduced affordable packages specifically for SMEs like Net-Connect, and Net Connect Plus, which allow small SMEs to share bandwidth while Premium Connect provides dedicated internet service. BTC’s procurement policies are also skewed towards local suppliers.
“We also have an MOU with Botswana Innovation Hub to give young innovators a platform to develop solutions and conceptions that can positively contribute to our country’s’ development,” said Masunga.
According to optimists the crumbling of borders since the establishment of World Trade Organisation has seen a surge of over $20 trillion of trade. Digitisation has reduced distances between markets, stimulating strategic alliances and unique partnerships.
“The theme expresses the need to uplift community enterprises, local manufacturers premised on the essence of our culture and belief system as Batswana. Like I said at the start of the speech for some enterprises one good season can carry them for much much longer. Enterprise of our size have a role to play in uplifting small enterprises by providing them opportunities to do business with us. Where they fall short, proper guidance and standards are shared for improvement. A self-sustaining local enterprise creates employment, industry value chains and adds value to the quality of the labour market and the development of our economy,” said Tuelo Botlhole, PPC Head of Unit.
According to speakers studies show that the challenges of 2020 will further drive nationalism, self-preservation amongst different nation-states around the world.
“Being self-sustaining is no longer a luxury and a buzz word uttered in conferences for thinkers to seem smart and sophisticated, it is now a matter of survival. It is the number of engineers per capita in Germany, Israel and Japan that make these wealthy countries forge their mark in industrialization and innovative engineering solutions that include German machines in automobile industry, agricultural exports from deserts in Israel. Estonia with its over 2 million citizens is the European epicenter of digitization. Their universities are now a world wonder on how such a small republic now commands and leads the whole world in national digitization,” said Botlhole.
Botlhole expressed pride in PPC’s programme called Local Enterprise Development. It provides resources and support to community enterprises.
“We have empowered a creche in Mokolodi, Rapha Shammah in Kopong, Kelyn Mass in Lobatseand many others. These Batswana men and women have created value for their households and communities through our LED programme,” said Botlhole.
He said, “We take pride in their efforts of crafting a way forward and sustenance. These efforts will help Botswana reach middle-income economy one day. There is evidence that cultivating local enterprises, applying requisite strategy models and relevant market access tenets brings sustenance and long-term stability and value. I believe the future of our economy is in the hands of our people.”
The Buy Botswana Conference showcased Botswana’s economic fulcrum – local enterprises from different economic sectors and what they have to offer our economy.
Policy-makers, industry leaders and academics debated, discussed and shared what they believed will be the best blueprint to urge Botswana forward.
“As PPC Botswana we understand the value of local manufacturing. That is why our plant through applied chemistry produces 300,000 tons of cement per annum for the local market. We have been caught in the COVID era too where sourcing of local raw materials for our products is critical for sustainability of the construction industry,” said Botlhole.
The Botswana Government provides for about 80% of support for SMME’s and there is a feeling that more can be done to exploit this by sharing experiences of stakeholders about challenges and opportunities so that we can give full effect to progressive government policies in this respect.
“Some local manufacturers and service providers as well as agricultural producers have adequate capacities to produce quantities and the requisite quality to meet the needs of the local market but the uptake of their products and services remain low because of a lack of goodwill,” said Sello Motseta, Buy Botswana Expo and Thought Leadership Conference proprietor.
He said, “It is necessary to engage in discussions about the issues of identifying the bottlenecks that affect the success of local manufacturers. There are basic foodstuffs like vegetables where many retail outlets like Pick n Pay, Payless and Spar have shelves with proudly South Africa but there is nothing parallel for local producers. We see Batswana selling from the back of tucks in busy parking lots and not in retail outlets in the country of their birth and we need to better understand why.”
It is common knowledge that Statistics Botswana official statistics showed in May 2016 for example, that imports were valued at P4,713.8million with South Africa contributing 69.4%(P3,272.7million) whilst Mozambique contributed 4.5%(P213.8million) to the monthly total. We need to see this as an important opportunity and begin to fully exploit it.
Presidential Directive CAB 11 (A) 2010 stipulates that Central Government, local Authorities and Parastatal Organizations should purchase all their requirements(goods and services) from locally based producers/manufacturers and service providers
“Continued importation of goods and services that are locally produced because of unreliable supplies, poor quality of products, uncompetitive pricing as well as low range of products available,” said Ellen Galetshetse, Principle Commercial officer for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
