The Southern African Development Community Development – Development Finance Resource Centre (SADC-DFRC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AFRECO, which is a group of Japanese private sector companies that seek to invest specifically within the African continent. As part of the MoU, the DFRC will be facilitating webinars in which the member DFI’s would present their mandates, highlight projects being pursued and those that require private sector participation to make them bankable. The presentations would also include COVID-19 – related interventions and initiatives, which may aid in the facilitation of investment opportunities.
Speaking at the webinar the Head of Corporate Affairs & Strategy, Boitshwarelo Lebang highlighted BDC’s mandate and the impact the Corporation has had on the economy in the past 50 years of operations, having successfully conducted its business on a commercial basis while exercising special care and regard to economic and commercial merits. She noted that BDC has refocused to lead the way in the economic transformation of Botswana through the Corporation’s ambitions of its new strategy dubbed ‘Beyond 2019’ and in alignment to Botswana’s change mandate & key reset agenda priorities.
BDC Investment Principal Oteng Keabetswe, presented BDC’s project pipeline which is aligned to Government’s priority sectors and highlighted the Corporation’s interventions geared towards helping companies that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. These efforts include offering relief funds for businesses in distress and the administration of the Government’s Industry Support Facility for large-scale businesses – to ensure that jobs are preserved and that the businesses are also sustained.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic brought about key learnings and opportunities that BDC will adopt and drive as part of the Corporation’s strategy. To achieve this BDC intends to invest approximately P1.3 billion in the next twelve months in projects that will ensure that the economy is better prepared to withstand economic shock in future.
The webinar series is one of the many platforms that have presented BDC with an opportunity to share its value proposition with key stakeholders and to exhibit its commitment to advancing Botswana’s economy. The Corporation remains resilient and steadfast despite the current economic climate and looks forward to leading the way to economic transformation and integrating Botswana into the global economy through commercial investments and partnerships.
