Botswana Railways courts investors for P15 billion mega rail projects
Botswana Railways (BR) in collaboration with Business Botswana and the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) held an interactive session with potential investors, where it was revealed that the country’s railway line is looking P15 billion worth of investment in its ambitious infrastructure development plan.
As Botswana yearns to advance into high income economy by taking advantage of available natural resources and exploring possible partnerships models to develop industrial and labour-intensive sectors that can absorb many of its unemployed citizenry, infrastructures registers as one of the key missing factors that are desperately imperative in connecting the puzzle in realising the nations ‘s economic aspirations. Infrastructure facilitates trade, linking production sites to regions of demand and the market, in the process unlocking other value chain business opportunities and support industries.
Among investors which BR engaged were also experts and leading personalities and entrepreneurs from Banking, Mining, Assert and Property Management, Fund Managers, Construction and Railway Lines from neighbouring countries and abroad to engage on key national rail projects that Botswana seeks to embark on.
It emerged at this Breakfast briefing held in Masa Square, Central Business District (CBD) Gaborone that these multibillion-pula projects if undertaken and effectively delivered would go a long way into unlocking various economic sectors, deliver higher GDP value and create much needed employment for Batswana especially the youth.
The two projects are the Mosetse –Kazungula and Mmamabula –Lephalale railways links. These projects which are estimated at P15 billion stands to push amongst others Botswana Coal industry which is currently at infant stage despite increasing global demand. The coal resources in Botswana are estimated at over 200 billion tonnes of deposits underground. Currently not even a quarter is unearthed as only Morupule Coal mine is an operating mine with salable coal reaching the market.
When giving an overview of Botswana Railways’ ambition with these projects, Chief Executive Officer Leonard Makwinja reiterated that adequate physical rail Infrastructure is instrumental to the growth and competitiveness of Botswana given its strategic geographical location at the Centre of Southern Africa. “By developing enabling infrastructure, the Government can achieve the goal of transforming the country into a regional hub for Foreign Direct Investment by tapping into both neighbouring and international markets” he said.
P13 billion Mosetse –Kazungula rail project
The Mosetse-Kazungula project is positioned to provide a railway line from Mosetse in Botswana, connecting to Zambia and beyond through the Kazungula bridge. The rail line is part of the North South Corridor (NSC) with numerous benefits such as being gate-way to North African markets promoting inter regional trade, connecting North African region to maritime ports in South Africa, reduction of haulage traffic on roads amongst others.
Botswana railways chief added that the project cultivates an opportunity for tourism industry by providing for tourist trains as it runs through a wildlife rich area with various attractive landscapes and natural beauty of Chobe region. “This also provides alternative transport mode for Agricultural products from Pandamatenga Farms, remember agriculture also comes as one of the sectors we intend to develop as a country to diversify from the mineral revenue dependence,” added Makwinja
He explained that Botswana Railways is open to partner with potential investors noting that the recent State Visit to China by President Masisi has indicated capacity and willingness to participate by Chinese Government. On November 12th Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kenneth Matambo together with Vice Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency signed the letter of Exchange on the technical Survey for projects submitted during the state visit to China by His Excellency President Masisi.
It was explained that as part of the assessment for the projects submitted, it is a requirement to undertake a technical Survey that will guide on the feasible projects after which negotiations for funding will commence between the two Governments. The Mosetse-Kazungula Railway line is one of the earmarked projects under consideration with others including Francistown- Nata Road, Nata-Gweta-Sehithwa-Gumare-Etsha-Mohembo roads.
At the singing of letters of exchange Minister Matambo reiterated that no commitment of funding of these projects was yet sealed, explaining that discussions will ensue once the technical Surveys have been completed for projects deemed feasible. Botswana Railways Chief revealed at the investor briefing that Chinese government might avail only a certain percentage of the total estimated cost considering the fact that there are a number of other key earmarked projects of high imperative competing for the funds such as the Francistown-Nata road which is currently in a poor state.
The Mosetse–Kazungula railway project is estimated to P 13 billion excluding rolling stock requirements with estimated initial tonnage at 2 million tons and is expected to grow to 4 million tons. Makwinja explained that 14 locomotives will be required with traffic geared to mostly be transit with wagons supplied from point of origin. “Line is designed as cape gauge, heavy haul at 26 ton/axle for 367 Km, the line goes through wildlife and agricultural areas and stations will be at Mosetse, Nata, Pandamatenga and Kazungula” he explained.
Mmamabula-Lephalale Rail Link Project
Estimated at P 2 billion to erect, the 56 km Mmamabula Lephalale Rail Link which will connect Mmamabula/Dibete in Botswana to Lephalale in South Africa aims to link Botswana’s over 200 billion coal deposits to South African’s heavy haul lines. One key feature of the project is a bridge across Limpopo River of Chief Executive Makwinja revealed that Botswana Railways and its South African counterparts are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate progress of the project.
He further explained that the railway line would be a gate way to South African ports for the coal market providing for a shorter route for North South Corridor coupled with Mosetse-Kazungula line. The rail way line which will be designed as cape gauge, heavy haul at 26 ton/axle with two years initial tonnage estimated at 10.5 MTPA will link the Masama coal fields which are currently explored by Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed Minergy to South African market.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Kabelo Ebineng shared that the earmarked undertakings are capital intensive projects that needed Government to think outside the box and approach the private sector so as synergies and areas of collaboration can be identified. “You are all aware that the Kazungula Bridge which has both the road and rail components is nearing completion hence the need for us to give impetus to the Mosetse-Kazungula Rail Line construction,”he said.
“These projects are central to us as a government. I am also aware of the high appetite for Mmamabula- Lephalale within the coal mining entities as this will represent the shortest route for the North South Corridor. As Botswana government we consider all these projects very strategic to our quest for regional integration as a country.”
Business
LLR transforms from Company to Group reporting
Botswana Stock Exchange listed diversified real estate company, Letlole La Rona Limited (“LLR” or “the Company” or “the Group”), posted its first set of group financial statements which comprise the Company and Group consolidated accounts, which show strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2023, with improvements across all key metrics.
The Company commenced the financial year with the appointment of a Deputy Chairperson, Mr Mooketsi Maphane, in order to bolster its governance and enhance leadership continuity through the development of a Board and Executive Management Succession Plan.
At operational level, LLR increased its shareholding in Railpark Mall from 32.79% to 57.79% and proudly took over the management of this prime asset.
The CEO of LLR, Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng commented “During the period under review, our portfolio continued to perform strongly, with improvements across all key metrics as a result of our ongoing focus on portfolio growth and optimisation.
“We are pleased to report a successful first half of the 2024 financial year, where we managed to not only grow the portfolio through strategic acquisitions and value accretive refurbishments but also recycled capital through the disposal of Moedi House as well as the ongoing sale of section titles at Red Square Apartments. The acquisition of an additional 25% stake in JTTM Properties significantly uplifted the value of our investment portfolio to P2.0 billion at a Group level. Our investment portfolio was further differentiated by the quality of our tenant base, as demonstrated by above market occupancy levels of 99.15% and strong collections of above 100% for the period”.
The growth in contractual revenue of 9% from the prior year’s P48.0 million to the current year P52.2 million, increased income from Railpark Mall, coupled with high collection rates, has enabled the company to declare a distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit, which is in line with the prior year.
In line with its strategic pillars of ‘Streamlined and Expanded Botswana Portfolio’ as well as ‘Quality African Assets’, the Group continuously monitors the performance of its investments to ensure that they meet the targeted returns.
“The Group continues to explore yield accretive opportunities for balance sheet growth and funding options that can be deployed to finance that growth” further commented the CEO of LLR Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng.
Ms Mowaneng further thanked the Group’s stakeholders for their continued support and stated that they look forward to unlocking further value in the Group.
Business
Botswana’s Electricity Generation Dips 26.4%
The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has reported a significant decrease in electricity generation for the fourth quarter of 2023, with output plummeting by 26.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to operational difficulties at the Morupule B power plant, as per the latest Botswana Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) released recently.
Local electricity production saw a drastic reduction, falling from 889,535 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 654,312 MWH in the period under review. This substantial decrease is largely due to the operational challenges at the Morupule B power plant. Consequently, the need for imported electricity surged by 35.6% (136,243 MWH) from 382,426 MWH in the third quarter to 518,669 MWH in the fourth quarter. This increase was necessitated by the need to compensate for the shortfall in locally generated electricity.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) was the principal supplier of imported electricity, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity imports during the fourth quarter of 2023. Eskom followed with 21.8%, while the remaining 12.1, 10.3, 8.6, and 4.2% were sourced from Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Nampower, and Cross-border electricity markets, respectively. Cross-border electricity markets involve the supply of electricity to towns and villages along the border from neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zambia.
Distributed electricity exhibited a decrease of 7.8% (98,980 MWH), dropping from 1,271,961 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 1,172,981 MWH in the review quarter.
Electricity generated locally contributed 55.8% to the electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease from the 74.5% contribution in the same quarter of the previous year. This signifies a decrease of 18.7 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that the contribution of locally generated electricity to the distributed electricity fell by 14.2 percentage points, from 69.9% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.8% in the fourth quarter. The Morupule A and B power stations accounted for 90.4% of the electricity generated during the fourth quarter of 2023, while Matshelagabedi and Orapa emergency power plants contributed the remaining 5.9 and 3.7% respectively.
The year-on-year analysis reveals some improvement in local electricity generation. The year-on-year perspective shows that the amount of distributed electricity increased by 8.2% (88,781 MWH), from 1,084,200 MWH in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 1,172,981 MWH in the current quarter. The trend of the Index of Electricity Generation from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 indicates an improvement in local electricity generation, despite fluctuations.
The year-on-year analysis also reveals a downward trend in the physical volume of imported electricity. The trend in the physical volume of imported electricity from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 shows a downward trend, indicating the country’s continued effort to generate adequate electricity to meet domestic demand, has led to the decreased reliance on electricity imports.
In response to the need to increase local generation and reduce power imports, the government has initiated a new National Energy Policy. This policy is aimed at guiding the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector and encouraging investment in new and renewable energy. In the policy document, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi stated that the policy aims to transform Botswana from being a net energy importer to a self-sufficient nation with surplus energy for export into the region. Moagi expressed confidence that Botswana has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in electric power supply, given the country’s readily available energy resources such as coal and renewable sources.
Business
MMG acquires Khoemacau in a transaction valued at P23Bn
MMG Limited, the Hong Kong-based mining company specializing in base metals, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Khoemacau Copper Mine, a state-of-the-art, world-class copper asset nestled in the northwest of Botswana.
On Monday, MMG announced that the acquisition of Khoemacau Mine in Botswana was finalized on 22nd March 2024. “This acquisition enriches the company’s portfolio with a top-tier, transformative growth project and signifies a monumental milestone in the Company’s journey,” MMG communicated in an official statement published on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MMG remitted to the Sellers an Aggregate Consideration of approximately US$1,734,657,000 (over P23 billion), a sum subject to potential adjustments post-Completion.
In addition to the Aggregate Consideration, MMG, in accordance with the Agreement, advanced an aggregate amount of approximately US$348,580,000 (over P4.5 billion) as the Aggregate Debt Settlement Amount, to settle certain debt balances of the Target Group (Cuprous Capital/Khoemacau).
On November 21, 2023, Khoemacau announced that the shareholders of its parent company [Cuprous Capital] had agreed to sell 100% of their interests to MMG Limited.
MMG is a global resources company that mines, explores, and develops copper and other base metals projects on four continents. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has a significant shareholder, China Minmetals Corporation, which is China’s largest metals and minerals group owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On December 22, 2023, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd received the approval from the Minister of Minerals and Energy of Botswana regarding the transfer of a controlling interest in the Project Licenses and Prospecting Licenses associated with the Khoemacau Copper Mine, a result of the Acquisition.
The Botswana Competition & Consumer Authority (CCA) on January 29, 2024, notified the market that it had given its approval for the takeover of Khoemacau Copper Mining by MMG Limited.
On January 29, 2024, the CCA issued a merger decision to the market, stating that after conducting all necessary assessments, it was ready to proceed.
The Competition Authority affirmed that the structure of the relevant market would not significantly change upon implementation of the proposed merger as the proposed transaction is not likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition, nor endanger the continuity of service in the market of mining of copper and silver ores and the production, and sale or supply of copper concentrate in Botswana.
Furthermore, the CCA stated that the proposed merger would not have any negative impact on public interest matters in Botswana as per the provisions of section 52(2) of the Competition Act 2018.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minerals & Energy, Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, informed parliament that his Ministry was endorsing the Khoemacau acquisition by MMG Limited. He noted that not only was the company acquiring the existing operation but also committing to an expansion program that would cost over $700 million to double production, create more jobs for Batswana, and increase taxes and royalties paid to the Government.