… y could move “from importer to regional supplier within this decade”; resource beneficiation, supported by amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act designed to keep processing and refining onshore; investment and trade positioning, built on the African Continental Free Trade Area …
… The government aims to diversify by leveraging other sectors and aligning with continental demand under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). …
… He called for strengthened partnerships under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create seamless mineral value chains that add value on the continent rather than exporting raw materials. …
… rship of the Southern African Customs Union, which provides duty-free access to a market of over 68 million people, the Southern African Development Community, which extends that reach to 406 million people across sixteen member states, and the African Continental Free Trade Area …
… The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), along with innovations like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), provide frameworks for reducing reliance on fragmented global systems. …
… On the African Continental Free Trade Area, President Boko underscored the need for African countries to invest in infrastructure that connects the continent, facilitating trade and the free movement of people and goods. …
Botswana held the inaugural CEO Africa Roundtable at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, bringing together chief executives, board chairpersons, diplomats, and business leaders under the banner "Towards a $40 Billion Economy by 2036." The government presented a roadmap acknowledging that the old economic model has run its course and called for action from private sector and regional partners.
Botswana held the inaugural CEO Africa Roundtable at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, bringing together chief executives, board chairpersons, diplomats, and business leaders under the banner "Towards a $40 Billion Economy by 2036." The government presented a roadmap acknowledging that the old economic model has run its course and called for action from private sector and regional partners.
CEO Africa Roundtable founder Kenias Mafukidze announced commitments to establish an investment desk, deliver three bankable flagship projects by 2027, and bring annual CEO delegations to Botswana, as part of a vision to help double the economy from $20 billion to $40 billion by 2036 through diversification away from raw commodity exports toward high-value industries including digital innovation, renewable energy, agro-processing, and tourism.
A CEO roundtable in Gaborone heard that achieving a $40 billion economy by 2036 requires a fit, healthy workforce. BOMAID, which covers approximately 95,000 lives and holds a 54% market share in Botswana's medical aid sector, spent over P100 million on client care during COVID-19, demonstrating health's role as an economic pillar.
Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe addressed the Future of Mining Summit in Botswana on June 29, 2026, presenting a roadmap that links resource development to industrial diversification and environmental stewardship, emphasizing that mining must extend beyond extraction to foster diversified economies and resilient communities.
The CEO Africa Roundtable will convene in Gaborone on 6 July 2026 under the theme "Towards a $40 Billion Economy by 2036," addressing Botswana's economic challenges including contracting foreign exchange reserves (from approximately $7.5 billion in 2017 to an estimated $3.2 billion by end-2024) and consecutive economic contractions in 2024 and 2025.
President Advocate Duma Boko said the proposed Lesotho-South Africa-Botswana water transfer project would strengthen Botswana's long-term water security, support industrial development, and enhance regional integration. Boko highlighted the project as an opportunity to address water scarcity and support sustainable solutions while deepening cooperation between the two nations across energy, trade, agriculture, and other sectors.
According to a World Economic Forum report, geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation are costing the global economy between $213 billion and $307 billion annually while adding 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points to global inflation. The fragmentation increasingly affects closely allied economies such as the EU, Canada, Japan, and South Korea, as economic security measures like tariffs and sanctions are deployed among allies rather than just rivals.
President Advocate Duma Boko has called for Botswana to reciprocate Rwanda's policy allowing Batswana to stay for up to six months by extending similar provisions to Rwandan citizens. Boko emphasized that easing travel restrictions would strengthen diplomatic relations and boost tourism, trade, and cultural exchange between the two nations.