“We Need Full Shelves Of Batswana Competing Products”-Mr Andy

We need full shelves of Batswana competing products-Mr Andy. Andy Batlhophi is a public figure with a following of 12k on his Facebook page. He uses his social media to engage followers on financial literacy and an assessment of Botswana markets. He is also a firm believer of citizen empowerment and often encourages Batswana to infiltrate markets as much as possible with locally manufactured goods. Batlhophi recently took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the economy and the need for local folk to step in and dominate the supply chain.

“I have been studying Botswana’s economy for some time now and I have realized that the only way to improve Botswana’s economic status is to improve the lives of Batswana living on, and below the poverty line. The best way to improve their lives is to create “sustainable” jobs for them.

How do we create sustainable jobs for the thousands of people in our country? The answer is in Manufacturing! I buy groceries on a monthly basis. Unfortunately a few of those groceries are produced locally. The question we should all ask ourselves is, How many Batswana are involved in the value chain which facilitates the monthly groceries that the middle class buys? China is the blueprint on how Botswana will turn it’s economy around. We need locally produced spaghetti, macaroni, margarine, peanut butter, bath soap, toilet scrubs etc.

We need full shelves of Batswana competing products, not just Choppies brands.

Producing those products alone will create hundreds of jobs, then we speak about the transportation of those goods which brings more jobs, then the shelving of those products, those are more jobs, then the disposal of the packaging materials of those products will create more jobs. The manufacturing value chain is Botswana’s solution to economic development. As entrepreneurs, let’s tailor our proposals to CEDA to now focus on developing Botswana’s manufacturing value chain,”