Gaborone — Batswana, particularly young entrepreneurs, should look beyond small domestic market and tap into opportunities across Africa, Pan African Game Changers (PAGC) founder and president, Dr Precious Gondwe has said.
Speaking at a media briefing in Gaborone on Tuesday, ahead of the PAGC Summit scheduled for September 17 and 18, Dr Gondwe said Botswana's population of about 2.5 million meant that businesses needed to explore regional and continental markets if they were to contribute meaningfully to economic growth and diversification.
She challenged young people to stop relying solely on government to create opportunities and instead seek opportunities within the region and beyond.
"Botswana, it is time for us to move away from expecting our government to be the one to solve our problems," she said. Dr Gondwe said African markets presented significant opportunities for Botswana businesses to export their products and services, while regional partnerships could help overcome some of the challenges associated with the country's landlocked position.
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She cited Namibia's access to the sea and ports as an example, questioning whether Botswana businesses were making sufficient use of strategic partnerships with neighbouring countries to reach wider markets.
Dr Gondwe said small and medium enterprises also needed to understand how continental integration initiatives could translate into practical opportunities, particularly through increased regional trade.
The call came as PAGC partnered with Precious and Partners Legal Practice to create a platform aimed at helping businesses better understand and leverage opportunities arising from continental integration.
The summit will feature panel discussions and sector-specific breakaway sessions, allowing participants to engage on issues affecting different industries.
More than 13 speakers from across Africa are expected to participate, with discussions focusing on continental integration, industrialisation, trade and participation of women and youth in policymaking.
Dr Gondwe said the summit would help young people understand frameworks such as the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and how such could create opportunities for them.
She added that the summit had attracted support from several partners, including the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Ba Isago University and Grand Palm, among others.
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Dr Gondwe said collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships were essential to advancing Africa's development agenda.
Head of business development at Precious and Partners, Mr Conor Masuku, said the partnership was driven by the need to translate agreements, policies and laws relating to regional integration into practical opportunities for businesses and ordinary citizens.
Mr Masuku said the PAGC Summit would provide a platform for investors, entrepreneurs and businesses to explore partnerships across different sectors, including agriculture and technology.
He also urged businesses to participate as exhibitors, saying products and services would be showcased to delegates from about 12 countries expected at the summit, which would be held under the theme: Africa Is Rising and Her Leadership Responds.
Meanwhile, PAGC was established in Botswana eight years ago as a women and youth empowerment initiative, initially focusing on young women before broadening its programmes to include men during the COVID-19 period. ends
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