Tati Company-FCC partner to transform Francistown
Tati Company Limited (TCL) and Francistown City Council (FCC) have formed a partnership to explore ways of transforming Francistown into a world-class city. The story of Francistown will be incomplete without the mention of TCL itself. They are the first traders and large scale farmers of the former days in the area. They are also known to have had the capacity to borrow first commercial banks in their formative years money especially during weekends.
TCL acquired 50 percent of Uncharted Africa Safari Company, assisted in turning that company around and parlayed its shares into a substantial shareholding in Natural Selection Safaris.
Formed by the founders of the Wilderness Safaris, the partnership includes among others development of Council staff houses, joint ventures with TCL to develop some areas in South of Francistown and selling of land at affordable prices where about 160 residential, 30 commercial, 35 industrial plots are available.
TCL is not only among the oldest investors in the city, but in Botswana as well. It has a rich history of developing the area. The undisputable fact is despite having at some stage donated over 350 000 acres of land to government for development of the city, TCL calls the shots as it owns a large portion of freehold land around the City.
Records show that TCL was incorporated in 1914; it was acquired in 1954 on the London Stock Exchange by the Glazer family of South Africa. It has since mainly localised top positions and the board.
Its board of directors are attorney Sefelani Thapelo (Attorney and Director of FNBB), David Nathan, a Chartered Accountant and retired partner of Grant Thornton, as well as Neville Sweden also a Chartered Accountant and retired partner of Grant Thornton.
In an interview with Botswana Guardian, TCL General Manager Ogaisitse Khama described his company as the oldest and remains one of the “largest private land owners in the country, financially strong, progressive and philanthropic.”
Khama said TCL owned much of the North East land including most of Francistown, the electricity and water supply, mineral and trading rights.
Further that the new owners donated approximately two thirds of the company’s land to government for the benefit of Batswana who could not afford to acquire land, and for the development of Francistown.
He said the mineral and trading rights, electricity and water supply were sold to government for a nominal price, and TCL donated land which was approximately 350 000 acres, including most of Francistown.
He said today most of the low, medium and high cost housing, the industrial and commercial developers, and the tribal settlements in Francistown and the North East districts are on land donated by the company.
Khama said numerous residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural townships in and around Francistown were developed by the company on its remaining land. The company’s trading and ranching divisions became large employers.
He said in the good old days TCL Stores and wholesalers supplied most of the groceries, toiletries and hardware. Further that approximately 8000 herd of cattle were ranched on the company’s land north and south of Francistown, crops were grown, fresh produce was processed and sold through the company’s stores.
Khama revealed that in the formative years of Standard Chartered and Barclays bank - the only two commercial banks in Francistown- the company would loan them money especially during weekends.
Khama explained that TCL developed Blue Jacket square and Barclays Plaza, Francistown’s first retail and commercial buildings with lifts and escalators, and Nswazi mall.
He said “these buildings were sold to Prime Time Property Holdings Limited”, which is listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange, “in exchange for shares in the company.”
Further that in 2005 the company created Tachila Nature Reserve on 2000 acres of its land South of Francistown, “which is the largest urban nature reserve in Botswana”.
Khama said in 2014, the TCL acquired 50 percent of Uncharted Africa Safari Company, assisted in turning that company around and parlayed its shares into a substantial shareholding in Natural Selection Safaris, which is formed by the founders of the Wilderness Safaris.
He confirmed that currently the company is selling prime land south of BMC circle known as Francistown South, and a community of 74 small agricultural holdings near Shashe.
Further that Francistown south is the largest urban development in Botswana, it comprises of 1600 residential plots, two schools, 30 commercial plots, 35 industrial plots all along A1 highway.
“Offers are invited for this land now, for the outright purchase or joint- venture development with the company. Services design and surveys are underway, completion is in October this year”, Khama stated.
Clerk of FCC Lopang Pule confirmed the above, stating that in the company has in the past made some noble transfer of some of its land parcels to the City of Francistown for its developmental needs.
“With its untapped freehold land around the city, the company is therefore soliciting some form of cooperation and, or partnership with the City of Francistown Council to economically develop some of these land reserves around the city’”.
Pule said FCC wants to develop or decongest the existing bus rank through provision of an alternative bus rank combined with shopping mall targeting long distance and transit buses to other districts and countries.
“The bus rank to exclude local taxis except cabs and kombis and minibuses to other areas within the city. Further that FCC wants to build staff houses and TCL could assist through availing land for Council to develop staff housing or by developing housing units with its partners and avail those at an agreed rental rate to Council.
“Another option is whereby land could be availed to private developers and the partners reap the benefits through taking-up a particular number of the Units,” Pule advised.