Francistown is looking to Durban and Cape Town for lessons as it seeks to strengthen its position as an investment destination and establish itself as a commercial hub.
Speaking at the 18th National Business Conference (NBC) in Francistown, Francistown City Council (FCC) Mayor Gaone Majere said the city, with more than a century of history as a cosmopolitan centre, must move decisively to build a distinct economic identity.
“Our aspiration should therefore be to position Francistown, not simply as the second city, but as an investment and business hub with its own economic identity,” Majere said at the conference, which brought together national leaders and industry experts.
He said Francistown did not need to be the national capital to become a leading investment and business centre. Instead, the city should identify and develop its own economic strengths.
Cities such as Durban and Cape Town, he said, had built strong economic identities around their respective advantages, including trade, logistics, tourism, investment and business events.
“The lesson for us is to understand our own strengths and build around them,” Majere said, adding that Francistown had economic assets that could be harnessed to transform it into a regional hub.
Strategically located near routes linking Botswana with Zambia, Namibia and the wider southern African region, Francistown has road and rail infrastructure connecting markets to the north and south. These assets, Majere said, give the city an opportunity to expand its role in regional trade and commerce.
He emphasised the need for the city to make better use of its geographic position to realise its commercial ambitions.
“Francistown’s geographic position places it in a better position to be a key service centre for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region,” he said.
Majere said the city’s location and economic opportunities made it an attractive base for businesses and investors seeking to access growing markets within SADC and northern Botswana.
