Botswana’s Vice President and Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe, has reaffirmed the country’s strong partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group during high-level discussions to accelerate the nation’s economic transformation agenda.
At a meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, with a Bank Group delegation led by Leila Mokaddem, Director General for Southern Africa, Vice President Gaolathe outlined Botswana’s priorities – digitisation, agricultural commercialisation, and revitalisation of state-owned enterprises – with a focus on transitioning from public sector dominance to private sector-led growth. The government will ensure a civil service that works, invests in transformative infrastructure, and diversifies the minerals sector.
“We are well placed to deepen the relationship with the African Development Bank to support private sector initiatives,” Gaolathe said, highlighting the country’s potential to become a major player in the automotive industry that should be developed and expanded.
He lauded the long-standing relationship between Botswana and the African Development Bank. “I have also seen how the Bank has modernised and continued to grow. It is an organisation I greatly admire and will continue to partner with in our economic transformation agenda.”
Mokaddem underscored the Bank Group’s commitment to supporting Botswana’s development course in alignment with the country’s Vision 2036.
“Our evaluation points to reforms, capacity development, and enhancement of the private sector as key to the country’s economic development,” she said, noting that Botswana has the means and capacity to become a regional logistics and manufacturing hub.
The Bank Group’s Deputy Director General for Southern Africa and Country Manager for Botswana, Moono Mupotola, also emphasised the strength of the partnership and the institution’s readiness to continue supporting the country.
During the talks, the African Development Bank Group delegation outlined short- and medium-term initiatives to bolster the country’s growth targets. These included the Governance and Economic Resilience Programme (GERSP) to strengthen fiscal performance and private sector participation, with potential funding support of up to $1 billion, of which $304 million is available this year, as well as technical assistance to address implementation challenges in Botswana’s public investment programme.
Regarding sustainable water supply, the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Project will address critical water and sanitation needs by building a 700-km pipeline between South Africa and Botswana.
Other interventions include comprehensive transport sector support involving roads, railways, aviation, logistics, and energy sector development, including funding for feasibility studies of key transmission lines connecting to South Africa and Zambia.
“Issues such as water, energy, and skills mismatch need to be addressed for the private sector to develop and grow,” Mokaddem noted. She stressed the Bank Group would leverage its capacity and expertise to support Botswana’s diversification efforts.
The meeting underscored the benefits of previous African Development Bank investments, including the Lobatse Clay Works and Delta Automotive Technologies, which demonstrate the potential of targeted economic support.