Botswana Government reserves businesses for Botswana citizens only

Botswana Government reserves businesses for Botswana citizens only

Botswana government has taken an initiative to promote local citizens through reserving businesses and certain industries for its citizens. Under the Trade Act the following businesses will be reserved for Botswana citizens only.

An industrial licence to operate any of the following manufacturing enterprises shall be reserved for citizens in terms of section 5 (5) (a) of the Act —

-Bread and Confectionery
-Ice making
-Meat processing
-Peanut butter
-Purification and bottling of water
-Traditional sour milk and
-Sorghum

A registration certificate to operate any of the following Manufacturing enterprises shall be reserved for citizens in terms of section 16 (2) (a) of the Act –

-Bricks
-Bugler bars, gates and windows
-Candles;
-Fencing material excluding gum poles;
-Floor polishing;
-Packaging
-Protective clothing;
-Roof trusses;
-School furniture;
-School uniforms;
-Screen printing and embroidery;
-Signage, including electronic signage;
-Traditional craft; and
-Traditional leather products.

The following businesses registration certificates shall be reserved for citizens or for companies WHOLLY owned by citizens –

-Agents business;
-Auctioneers business;
-Car wash business;
-Cell phone shop business
-Cleaning services business;
-Curio shop;
-Dry clean depot business;
-Florist business;
-Genera dealer business;
-General hire services;
-IMPORTED PRE-OWNED MOTOR DEALER BUSINESS;
-Internet café and copy shop;
-Laundromat business;

This comes in a moment when South African nationals are looking up to the government and businesses to put South Africans first. Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni urged companies to employ South Africans first before foreigners as a new way of life after COVID-19 to curb high unemployment rate.

#PutSouthAfricansFirst is the order of the day on social media with daily trends popping up on Twitter and Facebook. South African citizens hopes the government to emulate the move by Botswana to reserve most parts of the economy to locals.

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