Botswana offers low tax rates and has no foreign exchange controls. Labor strife is minimal, with its stable economy, Botswana offers great conditions for investment.
1. Agriculture and Horticulture
One area with great potential to diversify the economy & create employment is agriculture. If you are interested in agriculture and/horticulture, Botswana presents huge opportunities for this kind of business. Most of our vegetables and chicken meat come all the way from South Africa and surrounding countries. Local farmers could easily tap into the market and supply butternuts, chicken, green leaf vegetables etc.
Botswana is also re-knowned for selling high grade beef within the country and abroad – as far as European Union. Local farmers could breed cattle, sell to local butchers and also to Botswana Meat Commission which sells both locally and abroad. Furthermore, goat meat is in short supply in the country. Thus, goat farmers can bridge the gap between goat meat lovers unmet demand and supermarkets shortages.
2. Tourism and hospitality
Botswana is naturally endowed with beauty. We have the Chobe National Park with safaris, elephants, camping, rivers and safari lodges; Tsodilo – with mountains, deserts, safaris, camping and painting; Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Tswapong Hills, Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi pans, Kalahari Desert. Nxai Pan National Park, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, Kubu Island, Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Chobe River, etc.
As you would obviously expect, there are various opportunities emanating from Botswana’s beauty – lodges, camping equipment hire or sale, hotels, safari drive vehicles and transportation, taxis and cabs, you name them.
3. Energy and Renewable energy
Botswana is one of the most active countries in terms of embracing renewable energy in Africa. It is working towards self sufficiency in power generation and sees renewable energy as key to achieving that aim. Botswana boasts of high levels of irradiation. There are many profitable investment ventures in the Botswana energy sector from renewable sources such as:
1. Renewable energy technologies
2. Solar power generation
3. Innovations in the renewable energy sector
4. Transmission infrastructures
5. Cleaning services
4. Manufacturing leather products
Botswana is home to over two million cattle. This obviously presents business opportunities such as processing of meat for sale, butcheries, making leather bags and shoes; as well as making bone bi-products. Setting up of a modern tannery to process raw hides to finished leather; this would lead to the creation of downstream leather industries such as the manufacture of leather shoes, bags, belts, etc. Raw hides are available in Botswana. If one approaches this business at a large scale, one could end up selling internationally. There is no reason why bi-products of cattle are not making big money currently – meat, bones, hides and horns.
5. Mining
Mining is another sector with enormous potential for investment in Botswana. In 2005, mining accounted for 38% of the nations GDP more than 50% of government revenues were derived from mining and mineral-processing activity. Diamond has been the leading component of the mineral sector since large-scale diamond production began in 1972. Most of Botswana's diamond production is of gem quality, resulting in the country's position as the world's leading producer of diamond by value. Copper, gold, nickel, and soda ash production also has held significant, though smaller, roles in the economy
