Gaborone – First National Bank Botswana (FNB Botswana) and Petrohyper have signed a Memorandum of Agreement establishing a financing framework to expand citizen participation in the fuel and logistics value chain.

The partnership will allow citizen-owned suppliers and transporters contracted by Petrohyper to access working capital from FNB Botswana, with funding secured against contract cashflows.

The model is intended to reduce financing risk and strengthen small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) capacity to deliver large-scale contracts.

FNB Botswana Chief Executive Officer Steven Lefentse Bogatsu said the agreement was designed to close the gap between market opportunities and access to capital for citizen enterprises.

“This partnership reflects a shift in how we approach financing not just as a transactional function, but as a strategic tool to enable participation in high-value sectors of the economy,” Bogatsu said at the signing ceremony.

He added that the initiative aligns with national priorities of economic diversification, private-sector-led growth and citizen empowerment, noting the fuel and logistics chain’s importance to mining, retail, manufacturing and regional trade.

Petrohyper Director of Business Development Tshedukani Elijah said the company, which is wholly citizen-owned, views the agreement as a platform for empowerment.

“This Memorandum of Agreement represents more than cooperation; it represents empowerment,” Elijah said.

“By strengthening our ecosystem and widening access to opportunities, we are reinforcing our bold commitment to building sustainable systems that drive meaningful and inclusive growth.”

The deal also positions FNB Botswana to expand sector-specific financing models that integrate lending with structured commercial ecosystems, a strategy the bank says it will replicate in other industries.

The agreement runs until 2027 and is expected to facilitate growth of citizen contractors in Petrohyper’s supply chain, while advancing Botswana’s citizen economic empowerment agenda.