09 Mar 2025

 The working visit to USA by President Adv Duma Boko ended on Friday by meeting US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio in Washington DC.

The two leaders’ meeting followed some eventful engagements in Los Angeles where the President was scheduled to attend Botswana’s historic satellite launch that has since been moved to a later date.

US Secretary of State congratulated Botswana on the upcoming launch of BOTSAT -1.

Botswana and USA have close strategic relationship and the two have collaborations in trade, security, health, investment initiatives, and the two also belong to a number of the same international organisations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank

While in Washington DC, President Boko met with Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) executives - Chief Executive Officer, Florie Liser and board chairperson, John Oladije.

President Boko was briefed about the CCA composition of more than 140 US companies and multi nationals which invest in Africa in health, digital space, finance and other sectors.

The CCA pledged support for Botswana’s goals to diversify the economy. The CCA also invited President to attend CCA summit to be held in Angola in June where there would be a slot for the session ‘Doing Business in Botswana.’

President Boko informed CCA of ambitions to diversify within the mining sector and its value chains to create jobs. This he said needed climate resilient infrastructure, rail networks, roads and air transportation.

Furthermore, President Boko met with Batswana in Washington and Los Angeles where he encouraged them to work hard and come back home to play a meaningful role in the economy of their country.

While in Los Angeles, President Boko participated in a business meeting with potential investors from a wide array of industries that form part of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

The meeting created a platform for pitching Botswana’s business interests in key sectors of renewable energy, ecotourism, smart agriculture, minerals and digitalisation.

During the engagements, valuable partnerships were created, with potential business leads to be followed. Los Angeles provides an ecosystem for strategic partnerships, because of her diversity of sectors.

President Boko visited SpaceX Rocket Production and Starlink mini productions, where he was briefed that Botswana was positioned to become a gateway for connectivity in Southern Africa.

The meeting afforded the President and his entourage platform to engage on possible business opportunities within the Starlink’s expansion to Botswana and connecting far flung areas of the country.

President Boko also met the founder of Nantworks who is an entrepreneur and medical innovator, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong as a global leader in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation where their discussions focused on potential areas of collaboration in healthcare, technology and research.

Dr Soon-Shiong’s involvement with Botswana comes a long way as Nantworks and Botswana have signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at advancing Botswana’s healthcare sector through training opportunities, among other things.

The President also toured Los Angeles Technology Centre which supports young startup business incubators to conceptualise and grow, usually providing workspaces, mentorship, education and access to investors.

The meeting shared valuable lessons on how Botswana could transform her Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

The meetings afforded the President to introduce his administration to strategic partners and share posture of Botswana’s foreign policy. During the State-Of-Nation Address, he said government would refocus the foreign policy to ensure that advocacy voice was heard in the promotion of human rights, democracy, justice, good governance, peace and security.

Advocate Boko also said in the SONA that Botswana would continue fulfilling her international obligations and remain committed to her membership in regional and international organisations such as SADC, the African Union, and the United Nations, among others.

The President was accompanied by Minister of Communication and Innovation, Dr David Tshere and Minister of High Education, Mr Prince Maele, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Prof. Otlogetswe Totolo and other government officials. ENDS