Government has unveiled an ambitious blueprint to transform the country’s manufacturing sector into a resilient, globally competitive, and export-oriented base under the Twelfth National Development Plan (NDP 12).
Presenting the plan before Parliament, Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, said the vision is to position manufacturing as the engine of sustainable growth, job creation, and industrialization, driving Botswana toward high-income status.
Currently contributing 5.6 percent to the national GDP, the manufacturing sector is projected to grow at an average of 3.3 percent during NDP 12, with a long-term target of reaching 7 percent by 2036.
“We are building industries, training workers, developing supply chains, and creating markets. The question is not whether we can achieve this vision, but whether we have the resolve to see it through—and we do,” Ntsima said.
The strategy rests on three interconnected pillars: light manufacturing and domestic ecosystem, resource-based and heavy industry, and high-tech advanced manufacturing. The light manufacturing drive will prioritise women and youth-led industries such as textiles, food processing, furniture, and creative arts. Resource-based industrialisation will focus on value addition in steel, cement, fertilizer, and battery production using local raw materials in regions like SPEDU, Lobatse, and Francistown. High-tech initiatives will emphasise clean technologies, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and e-mobility, leveraging Botswana’s mineral wealth for electric vehicle production.
Eight core strategies will underpin the NDP 12 manufacturing agenda, including upscaling value chains, fostering innovation, developing industrial clusters, promoting digital transformation, and expanding market access. The government will also implement policies and financing models—such as patient capital and concessional loans—to unlock long-gestation manufacturing projects and strengthen private sector participation.
Business environment reforms form another key element of the plan. Ntsima announced measures to reduce the time required to start a business from 48 days to just 15, supported by the digitization of business registration and the establishment of commercial courts to expedite dispute resolution. The government will also accelerate e-governance and introduce integrated management systems for Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Infrastructure development will be crucial to realizing this vision. Projects include the construction of factory shells at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport SEZ, the Leather Industry Park in Lobatse, agro-processing hubs in Selebi Phikwe and Dikgathong, and major road links such as the Mathathane-Platjaan Border Post Road.
Ntsima also emphasized the importance of skills and innovation, highlighting partnerships with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) through the Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP). The government will establish the Botswana Intellectual Property Institute and promote entrepreneurship modules across all educational disciplines to nurture industrial talent.
Sustainability remains a central theme, with plans to implement an ESG framework in partnership with UNDP to promote green financing and carbon credit monetization.
By the end of NDP 12, the government expects to achieve a more diversified economy, greater export competitiveness, and significant job creation for youth and women.
“Together, we will build a manufacturing sector that is resilient, competitive, and capable of propelling Botswana into a prosperous future,” the Minister concluded.
