HRDC ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS AT THE BUSINESS BOTSWANA NORTHERN TRADE FAIR (BBNTF) 2019

Business Botswana (BB) celebrated its 25^th Anniversary of successfully hosting the Northern Trade Fair in Francistown from the 29^th May - 2^nd June 2019. In support of this great milestone, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) participated by showcasing its products and services at the Fair as a way of heightening publicity and sharing its footprints in the Northern part of Botswana. The theme of this year’s Trade Fair was ‘Innovate-Integrate Industrialise.’

The official opening of the fair was held on the 31^st May 2019. Giving the welcome remarks, the President of Business Botswana, Mr. Gobusamang Keebine, emphasised the importance of the Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair by stating that the Fair has evolved over the years to become a gateway for many businesses to promote their products and services to diverse customers and stakeholders in the northern part of the Country. Mr. Keebine professed, “For Francistown to position itself as an investment hub, collectively, we must prioritise industrialisation as key to economic growth for Francistown and Botswana and must ensure that citizens participate in building the economy.” Mr Keebine further stated that the Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair is the largest exhibition in the northern region and over 150 exhibitors participated at the Fair. He said business sectors in attendance amongst others included; service providers, financial institutions, hotels, insurance, education and manufacturing.

The theme resonated well with the National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS) as it advocates for delivery of a range of national, societal, Government, private sector, civil societal and institutional reforms necessary to guarantee Botswana’s future status as a ‘Winning Nation’ especially that the desired outcomes of the NHRD are economic diversification and societal advancement. The majority of Fair attendees that visited the HRDC stall were more interested in knowing the mandate of HRDC for which Mr. Lucky Kgosithebe, Ms. Agnes Manthe and Mr. Lebotsang Mohutsiwa were on site to engage all stakeholders on the same. In an effort to maximise the presence of the business community in Francistown, Business Botswana organised a number of interesting activities such as the business networking forum, golf tournament, dinner and dialogue, Business-to-Business meetings, fashion show, wine & cheese tasting and many more.