There are plans for future direct flights connecting Gaborone and Maputo, the capitals of Botswana and Mozambique, respectively. This would be a significant strategy for Mozambique and Botswana to intensify bilateral cooperation, especially in business areas such as agriculture, mineral resources, and energy.
This idea led to a recent roundtable discussion in Maputo, which brought together various key figures from the business sectors and governments of both countries. Notable attendees included the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Botswana, Mmusi Kgafela, and the Permanent Secretary of the same entity in Mozambique, Jorge Jairoce.
In agriculture and agro-processing, cooperation opportunities focused on technology and sustainability were highlighted, including increasing the import of meat from Botswana and the export of Mozambican seafood. For instance, Mozambique's High Commissioner to Botswana, António Macheve, invited businesspeople and farmers from Botswana to invest in agriculture in the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, a territory that, despite having vast lands, has little cattle (around 2.4 million heads).
In the energy sector, the discussion centered on ensuring energy security, highlighting possible trade exchanges such as the import of batteries for electric vehicles. In the manufacturing industry and mineral resources sector, joint exploitation of natural and energy resources could include potentialities like cotton, aluminum, petroleum, energy, diamonds, and natural gas.
In tourism, strategies were proposed to promote safaris and beaches, capitalizing on the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of both countries.
Participants also emphasized the need to create a business-friendly environment with policies that encourage investment and economic cooperation. Regulatory and trade facilitation issues were also discussed, aiming to remove barriers and increase competitiveness.
(By Rafael Langa)
