The president, Dr Mokgweetsi masisi has wrapped up his working visit to the US state of Texas, Houston and is due back home today (December 19, 2022).
Botswana’s participation at the just-ended US-Africa Leaders’ Summit has been hailed a success attributable mainly to the leader of delegation, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s many side meetings aimed at promoting Botswana.
“Our delegation has had many fruitful side meetings, and contacts have been made with various sectors that will in the near future come to fruition,” said Botswana’s ambassador to the US, Kitso Mokaila in an interview at the end of the 3-day summit in Washington DC.
Mokaila said success had been registered in getting investors to see Botswana as the preferred destination for investment through its value proposition of being a safe haven. He said corporates with a foothold in Africa were willing to invest in the ‘safe haven’ as a springboard to the rest of the continent. Ambassador Mokaila said some of the deals made would empower the youth, women and Batswana at large through a hive of profitable activities that would come with hosting the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) Summit and Forbes Under 30 summit next year.
“This means that big corporates will be coming to Botswana during the CCA, and this will also boost our tourism and other sectors,” he said, adding that there would be many spillover effects from hosting the two events.
He said the President’s participation at the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative was an added advantage as the organisation was a bouncing board for America’s congress and played a critical role in policy recommendations. Mokaila said this year’s summit differed from the one held in 2014 because this time around, it was not only about America’s aspirations, but it also considered collaboration pathways.
The agenda was about incorporating participating countries’ interests and priorities, he said.
Ambassador Mokaila noted the engagement focused on how America could work with Africa to set up companies in the continent and not export jobs. The ambassador said through the summit, America hoped to reset relations with African leaders, who had been heavily courted by other powerful countries that had expanded their influence in the continent.
Mokaila said there was a compelling need for the US-Africa engagement, especially since the African Continental Free Trade Agreement was expected to catalyse competitive value chains across Africa.
“Americans want to position themselves in Africa because they see it as a big market, that is why big corporates are present in this summit,” he said.
In his address, US President Joe Biden announced new investments in Africa aimed at boosting trade and infrastructure. He also revealed a new initiative that seeks to enhance Africa’s participation in the digital economy, including collaborations between Microsoft and Viasat to bring internet access to at least five million Africans.
In addition, President Biden pledged America’s support for innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. The US International Development Finance Corporation was investing $370 million in Africa to increase access to clean energy, supply farmers with critical fertilisers and assist companies supplying communities with clean water, he revealed.
Transforming Botswana into vaccine manufacturer
The president, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi wrapped up his US visit by engaging with three Batswana trainee scientists studying at Baylor College of Medicine on the Vaccinology Programme.
The three – Tshepiso Kago, Gaone Matlhare and Tshepiso Chelane – are part of a historic exercise that aims to transform Botswana into a vaccine manufacturer. They were selected from Batswana applicants who will kickstart the inaugural vaccine manufacturing process in Botswana.
The dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital for Vaccine Development, Professor Peter Hotez has been involved in making vaccines for various African diseases, particularly parasitic disease vaccines.
US pledges support for sustainable safaris in Africa
The US has committed to support the promotion of sustainable safaris in Africa. This is mainly with the aim of preventing the destruction of wild spaces as the tourism sector recovers.
The US Agency for International Development announced this at the the 3-day US-Africa summit that brought together almost 50 African leaders in Washington DC. The fledgling Africa Conservation and Communities Tourism Fund, led by investors and conversationists, intends to raise $75 million to fund safari operators across the continent.
The fund will work with safari tour operators in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. It’s estimated that it’ll benefit 44 000 people.
Source: BOPA, Radio Botswana
