Rwabwogo: Let's learn from Botswana's mining, beef sector

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The chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Odrek Rwabwogo, has said Botswana can teach Uganda best practices in mining and beef cattle production.

“Botswana holds some good lessons for the Ugandan mining and beef sector. With only diamonds, they seem to have built a $6.7b industry and high revenue earner,” he told New Vision on Saturday, March 8.

Earlier in the week, Rwabwogo held a virtual trade meeting with Botswana's business leaders and export agencies to pick some lessons they could apply as a country.

The meeting was organised by the Honorary Consul of Botswana in Kampala, Maria Odida, and Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Amoru, who is also accredited to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

The Botswana team was led by Mantlha Sankoloba, the chief executive officer of the country’s Exporters and Manufacturers Association, and her Botswana Investment and Trade Centre counterpart, Keletsositse Olebile.

Rwabwogo noted that with Uganda growing its gold sales in ten years from a mere $35m (sh128.4b) to now $3.5b, the industry is still weak and almost non-existent if it were not for President Yoweri Museveni’s insistence on minimum refining of this product in the country.

“We miss integration in electronics, medical devices, and the gold reserves’ full monetization to get better positioning and pricing. It is the same with the beef and cattle sector in Uganda,” he said.

Currently, the contribution of minerals to Uganda’s economy stands at a dismal 1.4%.

On beef, Rwabwogo, who doubles as the senior presidential advisor on special duties, noted that with slightly over 3m heads of cattle, Botswana earns over $100m (sh367.1b) in beef exports.

He also said Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has a thriving veterinary industry punching above the weight of Uganda at 16 million heads of cattle.

“I thank Honorary Consul Odida and ambassador Amoru, for putting this together. We will develop this relationship if we can deal with cheaper logistics and transportation to this market,” the PACEID boss said.

Highlights opportunities

During the virtual meeting on March 4, Rwabwogo made a case for Uganda as a desirable investment destination and source of quality organic agricultural export products.

He highlighted opportunities in Uganda’s agribusiness, tourism, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

He asked Botswana for partnerships in mining, mineral beneficiation, beef and coffee.

The PACEID boss also explored the option of setting up a Uganda connect trade hub in Botswana to create visibility of Ugandan products on the market.