Hundreds of delegates from across all sectors of business gathered at Adansonia Hotel in Francistown this week (week of Aug 26-29) for the 17th National Business Conference (NBC).
Held every two years, the business meet centres around high level discussion on how to remove bottle necks and unleash the private sector’s full potential.
Over the course of three days, an impressive line-up of speakers and panelists conversed under the theme ‘Invigorating Economic Transformation through the Private Sector’.
At Monday’s official opening, in his welcome remarks, Business Botswana (BB) President, Neo Nwako said while calls for a private-sector-led and export-led economy have become increasingly louder, they have observed several things holding this back.
The BB boss called for an ‘honest, robust and uncomfortable discussion’ to unearth these issues, while also identifying opportunities that can help turn the dream into a reality.
Nwako maintained Francistown was the ideal place to discuss the ingredients required to have a private sector and export led economy.
“The second city is strategic as the northern region is endowed with abundant natural resources, skilled workforce and strategic geographic positioning making it a prime destination for investment and economic development,” noted Nwako.
“This year’s theme highlights our commitment to harnessing the untapped potential of this vibrant and dynamic private sector while prioritizing environmental sustainability,” he added, reiterating his organisation’s ambition to build a diverse, vibrant and robust private sector.
Nwako said to support government’s call for the empowerment of citizen-owned SMMEs, a deliberate effort was made to facilitate the attendance of SMMEs, youth and women-owned businesses around the Francistown area.
“This was achieved with support from private entities, government departments, Ministries and Parastatals such as: BITC, MoE, UNDP and HRDC. Through these institutions’ support, we had targeted to support 100 SMMEs, and we have, in attendance, at this year’s NBC, almost 100 small businesses, the informal sector, and young leaders,” he revealed.
Nwako said as Business Botswana they recognise the importance of having new ideas from young people across sectors who will challenge conventional thinking, share thoughts, and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to lead the country’s transformational agenda.
His sentiments were shared by Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane during his keynote address.
The VP said this year’s theme was befitting and called on all the stakeholders to not only discuss challenges, but also provide solutions that will unlock new opportunities.
“Our country’s core development challenges require collective action. We are gathered here to learn from each other, not to find fault,” Tsogwane said.
The country’s second-in-command cautioned that the engagements should not be a mere ‘talk-show’ but rather a deliberate engagement whose objectives and outcomes can be measured overtime.
“Our target of attaining a high-income status as a nation will not be possible without the contribution of the private sector,” he added.
Tsogwane further reiterated his government’s commitment to prioritize ‘Business Environment Reform’, in their efforts to facilitate the ease of doing business and create a conducive climate for investment.
