PushaBW propels Mindset Change and vice versa
Mindset change is of critical importance, if Botswana, which is overly dependent on imports, is to change its fortunes, become self-reliant and prosperous. Commentators and policy makers are of the general view that, once Batswana have changed their Mindset towards local goods and services, they will be in a better position to support noble initiatives such as Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC)'s PushaBW campaign. PushaBW is a national initiative aimed at encouraging and rallying Batswana to actively grow the local economy by supporting and buying locally made products, supporting local initiatives and using local services.
The campaign challenges Batswana to grow the economy by deliberately purchasing and using products made and grown in Botswana.It is not surprising that Government has put Mindset Change as priority number 5 in the much touted Reset Agenda. “It is extremely important that we change our mindset if our goal to attain high income country status is to be achieved. This comes with developing capacity for entrepreneurship, eliminating inferiority complex, and implementing government strategic reforms that put citizen economic inclusion at the centre of economic development initiatives,” noted President Mokgweetsi Masisi when launching the Reset Agenda some few months ago.
The Chief of Staff at the Office of President, Boyce Sebetela has buttressed the President’s viewpoint that, the country cannot grow without citizen support of local initiatives such as PushawBW. For example, speaking at the European Union - Botswana Business Forum and Global Expo on the #PUSHABW and the A RE CHENCHENG initiatives, Sebetela, said: 'the necessary change would be realised when all the players, the business and customers were doing their part,' the Chief of Staff further noted that, it is disheartening to observe that the challenges to the country’s economy were perpetuated by failure to instigate positive mindset. He said it was important to understand what to change to positively influence the development of the economy of Botswana, adding that individuals were the initial creators of wealth.
He further noted that, a lion’s share of what was sold to the outside was in the form of raw materials. For example, most of the county’s diamonds are sold in raw form into the international market. Therefore, he said, a change in mindset would change the current makeup of the GDP and export level. “We need to change mindset and the way we do business,” he said. Assistant Minister of Trde and Industry Ms. Beauty Manake said over the past years, following the launch of the #PUSHABW initiative there was a steady shift towards awareness and appreciation of local products and services. Minister Manake said despite the promising and encouraging efforts by the local manufacturers, the country’s import bill was still high as it still stands at the annual P6.8 billion. The high import bill signaled an opportunity of what was lagging in the local market and its worth, adding that the situation was a challenge to all Batswana to explore available value chain and venture into products and services that would reduce the import bill drastically.
She said it was through campaigns such as #PUSHABW that entities such as BITC were able to make informed business on how to support small businesses and engage investors. As such, she said, BITC had been working tirelessly to ensure uptake of local products and services. The #PushawBW Campaign aimed to narrate the story of Botswana as the discussion focused on what was being done to use and consume what had been produced by the locals as well as changing their mindsets.She further revealed that the textile industry was struggling to access raw materials, mainly cloth which was being imported. Therefore, while people recollect and strive to change for the better as guided by the Mind-set Change, they must put emphasise on what they could do best and achieve. She called upon participants to pause and reflect on the journey to support local initiatives, adding that it was important to critically engage and explore new ways to nurture and advance the support to buy locally produced goods and services coupled with the mind-set change campaign.
Meanwhile, BITC Executive Director for Brand Management, Kutlo Moagi, has stressed that, as the custodian of PushaBW, they have made efforts to put in place a conducive environment for local companies to thrive and service the local market. Since inception in 2018, the campaign has focused on some key areas such as exposure of local products, local products & services product development and enhancement. This also include availing access for local products profiling and promotion of the same. BITC, through Brand Botswana has also managed to get strategic partners to be part of the campaign.
“The #PushaBW has made strides in changing people’s mindset on local products that they are of inferior quality. Through information sharing, exposure and profiling of local products through various platforms, Batswana now appreciate local products and their quality. The manufacturing sector has developed as there is now increased production due to an increase in demand for local products,” stressed Moagi. Moagi said there is light at the end of the tunnel, as Batswana, have started to understand how PushaBW, coupled with Mindset Change can help the country to reach greater heights.
“There is a marked steady increase in local production as well as diversity in product offerings. This will in the long run have a marked impact on the import bill as there will be local supply. A significant improvement in quality and packaging of local products is highly evident as local producers benefit from capacity building programmes that assist them to develop and position their products for the competitive local and international markets. A lot of new products continue to enter the market and indicating an appetite for production by the youth across multiple sectors. The increased awareness of the availability of local products by the market has had a positive impact on local product demand,” said a content Moagi.
BITC, which is an Investment Promotion Agency continues to engage with and do joint programmes and activations with other Government departments. These include the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), among others.
BITC collaborates with the above institutions for various initiatives for the benefit of local companies, such as exhibitions, workshops, developmental programmes. But what does the future holds for PushaBW? “The #PushaBW is going on full steam with more enhanced and concerted stakeholder engagement. The campaign can further be amplified by different stakeholders hence the efforts to get more and more stakeholders to appreciate the campaign and also promote it,” Moagi told Botswana Guardian, adding these include retailers, financiers, procurement officers in Government and private sector, buyers among others.
Even then, PushawBW is still facing a litany of challenges such as the myopic belief that local products are of inferior quality, lack of finances for local companies to develop further, slow uptake of local products by major local retailers, competition from established foreign products and lack of budget for local companies to effectively market their products and services. Perhaps, BITC should take a leaf from countries which has seen their economies bubble as a result of local spend such as Japan, India, China, Brazil among others.
But first, for Botswana, there has to be Mindset Change.