PPP Unit introduces projects to prospective Chinese investors

Chinese companies that were in Botswana on Monday courtesy of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) have been made aware of the 16 identified projects that present investment opportunities.

 PPP Coordinator, Orono Otweyo told the business delegation comprising of representatives from a range of industries that there is more drive to do PPPs in development projects and therefore Chinese companies looking for investment opportunities need to take note.

He pointed them to projects that include; Zambezi Integrated Agro-Commercial Development Project that entails the provision of irrigation infrastructure, water supply to 45 000 Ha, commercial farming, agro-processing and related infrastructure in the Pandamatenga area. He said so far, seven crops and fruit trees have been identified as suitable, and water for irrigation is to be abstracted from Chobe/Zambezi River.

Another opportunity is the reclamation and treatment of the Gaborone wastewater. According to Otweyo, the project entails wastewater recycling for portable use with a target of providing Gaborone city with up to 20 percent of its water supply needs. “The project involves design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of a wastewater reclamation plant as well as an upgrade of the current WasteWater Treatment plant,” Otweyo said.

Chinese investors were also briefed about land servicing opportunities, which entail the provision of integrated infrastructure services to land in Kasane, Francistown, Ramotswa and Mochudi to facilitate the development of plots. According to Otweyo, the services will include; roads, storm water drainage, water sewerage, telecommunications, power reticulations and street lighting.  The other investment opportunity is the establishment of a rehabilitation centre in Lobatse.

This project needs investment in design, finance, construction and maintenance of the Offender Rehabilitation Centre with capacity of between 600 and 800 inmates offering physiological, educational and vocational programmes.

Another is the secondary schools staff housing. The project entails design, finance, construction and maintenance of 4 000 high-density staff houses for secondary school teachers throughout the country. Other projects that Otweyo elaborated on include; Sepopa Prison Farm, Prison Headquarters Building, Three Dikgosi Monument, Gaborone Tourism Precinct and Serowe Magistrate Court. Although the conclusion of agreements will depend entirely on negotiations between individual companies from China and Botswana, CCPIT Chairman, Jiang Zengwei said the proof of good China-Africa relations have been the documented major projects that have been fully implemented in Africa.

“China and Botswana economies are highly complementary and we are impressed by Botswana’s open market and capital management,” Zengwei said.  Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Unity Dow is also hopeful that as a result of the visit of the Chinese investors, new Chinese businesses and sectors will set up in Botswana. “We should be able to see positive results 12 months down the line, as to whether this meeting was meaningful,” Dr Dow said.

Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development and Botswana Power Corporation also briefed the Chinese business community about investment opportunities in their specific areas of expertise.