Pula Investment Conference adds new oomph to Global Expo
After taking a well-deserved break in 2024, the Global Expo Botswana returns this year reenergised and raring to go.
The fair’s 18th instalment, scheduled for 8 – 11 October at Fairground Holdings in Gaborone, features a number of new additions, chief amongst them the Pula Investment Conference.
The platform, set for the opening day of the Expo, offers Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) a unique hunting ground to sniff out potential investors as the country looks to build on its diversification dream.
The conference is billed as a chance to unlock business opportunities, connect high-potential projects with credible investors and enable deal-making that drives sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session on Tuesday, BITC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Keletsositse Olebile said in light of the dark economic storm that looms over Botswana, it’s more important than ever before to come up with viable business and financial solutions.
“We are aligned with priority sectors which the government wants to invest in. So we are looking into Development Funding institutions for project development so that bankable projects can be funded. I can admit that we are limited in mining and exploration activities, we are very limited in those areas for people to get funding. Projects will be taken to economic labs to be converted into feasible and scalable projects which are able to generate jobs and have mass impact. For this to be successful we will need collective efforts for people who can fund projects and those with ideas at their helm to come forth,” said Olebile, who is confident the Pula Investment Conference will offer more value to the business community and country at large.
BITC has cast its net wide, setting its sights on a multi-layered approach.
Priority sectors are: Agriculture and Agriculture Processing, Mining and Mineral Processing, Tourism and Hospitality, Manufacturing and finally, Energy.
The various aims include enhancing food security as well as creating value addition in Agriculture, improve exploration and processing of other minerals, promote local manufacturing to reduce imports and create jobs, develop renewable energy sources and advance energy security and efficiency.
“People have plenty of land lying idle but they don’t know what to do with that land because they lack the capital to develop those pieces of land or venture into manufacturing and businesses. So at Pula Investment Conference that is where we encourage all financial institutions, entrepreneurs to be available for those investor pitches. Business will be subjected to lead generations, presentation of project financing solutions to some of the challenges the business community is facing,” explained Olebile, adding this year they have introduced a P50 entry fees for visitors per single visit.
The Global Expo has gained impressive traction since its debut in 2006.
In 2019, the fair attracted 242 exhibitors, with the number increasing to 250 the following year, dropping down to 240 in 2022 before rising to 260 in the last instalment.
This year, BITC are targeting record numbers. They expect over 4, 000 visitors to attend, in excess of 300 exhibitors to showcase their products, with 250 delegates and more than 15 participating countries as the Global Expo continues to live up to its name.
