Cynthia Thanda

Speaking during an interview with RT on the sidelines of the SADC Summit in Durban, President Duma Gideon Boko stressed the importance of African countries working together to ensure that external powers do not dictate the terms of resource exploitation on the continent.

As a Southern African country, Botswana’s position is closely connected to the wider Southern African region and the African continent. President Boko said Africa must strengthen cooperation within the continent, particularly in trade and economic development.

“For us as a Southern African country, that existence must place us, and it does, both physically and in many other respects, within this sub-region of SADC. And then the broader context of the African continent,” said President Boko.

He noted that despite the continent’s significant economic potential, intra-African trade has remained limited.

“In that broader context, we need to appreciate that there has been very little intra-Africa trade,” he said.

President Boko said African countries need to see themselves as a bloc and embrace new leadership that learns from the mistakes of the past while creating a new future for the continent. He pointed to the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an important step towards opening channels for greater intra-African trade.

“And when we talk intra-Africa trade, we’re talking about a population that is dynamic, that is young, that is healthy, that is hungry for success.” For Botswana, this vision includes strengthening connections with neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Zambia and South Africa through regional transport corridors, which could facilitate greater movement of goods and people across borders.

He emphasized how African countries are stronger when they act collectively rather than individually and Africa should negotiate with external investors as a united economic force.

“Africa is actually the now frontier. And so when they come, we set out our terms. We want beneficiation in our countries. We want deployment of resources and technology. We want transfer of skills. We want the production of finished goods in our countries, which will then empower our people, grow our economies, and then we can trade with the rest of the world,”

“So, whoever it is that comes will find an Africa that is ready, an Africa that is capable, and an Africa that is very clear on its requirements and demands, and an Africa that will not compromise on those demands,” said President Boko.

He also referenced developments in Botswana’s diamond industry, noting the significance of changes involving Anglo American and the remaining stake held by Botswana in the relevant operation.

As Botswana positions itself as an example for other African countries in the management and beneficiation of natural resources, its broader vision is of an Africa that can trade more within itself, develop its own resources and negotiate with the rest of the world from a position of greater economic strength.