SPEDU had the honour of hosting the Assistant Minister of Health, Hon. Lawrence Ookeditse, on a targeted visit to emerging and prospective health manufacturing enterprises within the Selebi-Phikwe region. Leading the delegation on behalf of SPEDU was the Technical Advisor to the CEO, Mr. Ronnie Phuthego, who guided engagements anchored on unlocking industrial capacity in line with national priorities.
The visit formed part of a broader Government push under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) to localise production, strengthen supply chain resilience, and reposition Botswana from an import-dependent economy to a manufacturing-driven one. In the health sector specifically, this translates into a bold shift: procuring directly from producers who can meet standards of quality, cost-efficiency and reliability, while simultaneously catalysing domestic manufacturing capability.
Across engagements with investors and entrepreneurs, a clear signal emerged, Botswana is ready to move beyond packaging into full-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing. Several serious entities have already responded to this call, positioning Selebi-Phikwe as a viable hub for pharmaceutical production, supported by SPEDU’s mandate to drive industrialisation, investment facilitation and economic diversification within the region.
For the Ministry of Health, the mission is equally strategic: ensure sustainable access to essential medicines while reducing exposure to global supply shocks. For SPEDU, this aligns seamlessly with its role in building competitive industrial clusters, crowding in investment and enabling value addition within priority sectors.
As Hon. Ookeditse aptly reflected, "this is not about excluding local participation, it is about elevating it. It is about backing those who are willing to produce, innovate and deliver at scale. In Selebi-Phikwe, that future is beginning to take shape".