Some business communities in Botswana have made possible investment pledges to the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) worth over US$19.9 million.
The business communities made the pledges during the just ended GlobalExpo held in Gaborone.
ZDA Market Development Specialist, Tombozi Tembo, said the agency received 122 enquiries of export and investment opportunities, of which 88 were enquiries on potential exports from Zambia to Botswana while 34 were enquiries for investment in Zambia.
Ms Tembo noted that the investment pledges are in the manufacturing, service provider and agriculture sectors.
She said these probable leads between Zambia and Botswana are able to actualise a lot of investments and trade potential between the two countries.
In a press statement issued to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press at the Zambia High Commission to Botswana, Julia Malunga, Ms Tembo also stated that ZDA had some discussion with Choppies chain stores that have shown interest to buy and supply products from Zambian manufactures.
“Most of the products that the Botswana market is looking for are maize, soya beans, sunflower cake, wheat bran, maize bran, groundnuts and beans,” Tembo said.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to Botswana, Brighton Litula, congratulated ZDA for attracting significant trade and investment opportunities for Zambia
Mr Litula has meanwhile implored ZDA to sensitize the Zambian business community to also take interest in investing in Botswana through the business opportunities created by the Zambian High Commission, especially the export of agro products to feed Botswana’s thriving livestock subsector.
ZDA represented nine companies and won the third place in the category of best country pavilion at the expo which attracted 200 exhibitors from Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, India, Indonesia, Eswatini, Namibia and Kenya.