02 Apr 2025

The Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) has made several strategic investments in the past five years across a range of sectors, both locally and offshore, aligned with their mandate and commercial objectives.

Answering a question in Parliament yesterday, Assistant Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Mr Baratiwa Mathoothe said the investments were selected to stimulate economic diversification, job creation, industrial and value chain development.

He said investments made covered areas of manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, hospitality, agribusiness, retail and real estate. Mr Mathoothe said in total, BDC had invested approximately P1.408 billion into these new businesses and these investments spanned both equity and debt instruments as well as infrastructure financing. He said the corporation would continue to prioritise citizen participation in its investments decisions and actively promote citizen joint ventures.

Mr Mathoothe said through the aforementioned investments, the corporation had contributed meaningfully to national employment, and approximately 4 200 jobs have been created, with an addition of 3 200 jobs anticipated as projects reached full operational capacity.

In addition to that, Mr Mathoothe said six new deals totalling P679 million have been made and furthermore, the corporation had made additional investments into existing portfolio companies amounting to P396.2 million and these companies currently sustained 627 jobs.

“The overall performance of BDC investment portfolio is positive with most projects progressing in line with commercial expectations. However some of the investee companies have had some operational challenges that have dampened their performance,” he said.

He however mentioned that the corporation had strategies put in place for monitoring non-performing projects; which  were either start-up or those recovering from effects of COVID-19 and Ukraine-Russia conflict. In addition to that, Mr Mathoothe said the corporation had made additional investments into existing portfolio companies amounting to P486.2 million. 

“The companies currently sustain 627 jobs and the overall performance of BDC’s investment portfolio is positive, with most projects progressing in line with commercial expectations,” he said.

MP Mogoditshane East, Mr Letlhogonolo Barongwang had asked the minister whether BDC made any new financial investment deals, in the past five years: excluding the already existing projects including Lobatse Clay Works, Milk Afric, Lobatse Leather Park among others.

He also asked the minister to state said various projects and sectors involved, the total amount invested in each project, the level of citizen participation in various projects, the number of jobs created and performance of these businesses. ENDS