The initiative comes in response to the realisation that despite Botswana’s status as a prominent mining hub, Debswana has been spending billions of pula on machinery repairs in South Africa. The establishment of a local repair and maintenance centre aims to keep these funds within the country, fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities.
The groundwork for this initiative was laid in 2020 when Debswana and BITC signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising their commitment to explore and develop opportunities that would enhance Botswana’s industrial capabilities and reduce dependency on external services.
Wanatsha Moakufi, the head of Debswana’s Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme (CEEP) emphasised the potential of the centre, noting that the flow of repair and rebuild services in the region has traditionally been towards South Africa.
“We can capture a significant portion of the business and build capacity to attract clients from across the region,” he said on Thursday at a BITC event. “This will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.” By localising these services, Botswana stands to benefit significantly from reduced costs and increased industrial self-reliance.
The proposed centre is expected to not only serve Debswana’s needs but also cater to the broader mining industry and other sectors requiring heavy machinery maintenance and repairs.
This strategic development aligns with Botswana’s broader economic diversification efforts and its vision to become a leading industrial hub in the region, Moakufi said.
The MoU has also already yielded significant achievements as BITC has facilitated access to 29 hectares of land for Debswana to construct a sporting facility in Jwaneng and has also been instrumental in facilitating a 45-hectare agriculture hub in Jwaneng.
Debswana’s CEEP, established in 2019, plays a pivotal role in this strategy. CEEP was created to reinforce Debswana’s 'Building Forever' goals which aim to foster a positive and enduring impact that extends far beyond the lifespan of diamonds. Through this strategy, Debswana has set an ambitious goal to empower local businesses with a value of P20 billion and create 20,000 jobs.
