BotAsh: Untapped manufacturing, processing hub
Business
Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Sadique Kebonang, has called on the private sector, business people and investors to tap into lucrative opportunities that are presented by Botswana Ash Mine in Sowa Town.
Kebonang who toured the largest producer of salt and soda ash in Southern Africa this past week, said it is imperative for authorities and mine leadership to start coming up with product diversity and Sowa economic diversification strategies as soon as possible to prevent the repeat of a situation similar to that of Phikwe crush in other mining towns. “All the policies are in place to unleash opportunities that can enhance business development, economic diversification and job creation,” said Kebonang.
According to Sadique, his government has created the needed platform to empower and flourish the private sector: “Government is a collection of individuals, it’s not an abstract, if we Batswana are not taking up these opportunities then we can’t achieve economic diversification.” However Kebonang acknowledged challenges that are currently hindering entrepreneurship at Sowa, which is one of Africa’s sodium rich areas. “We appreciate that there is an issue of land and we are currently working with the ministry responsible for those services,” he noted.
Kebonang is of the view that the 4000 populated township can be developed into a soda ash and sodium by-product Industrial hub, “We are looking at soap manufacturing factories, fertilizers, detergents and so forth,” he said in an interview with BusinessPost.
Kebonang further told this publication that government was willing to foster industrialization of the town through investment arms such as CEDA and Botswana Development Corporation.
“As it is constantly noted, government has a primary role of creating a conducive environment for job creation, we are indeed waiting for serious investors and mainly Batswana entrepreneurs that can put up good and feasible proposals and we will assist with funding and other incentives”, he observed.
According to BotAsh Managing Director, Montwedi Mphathi, the mine is currently producing enough soda ash and salt for other industrial products to be manufactured from the available raw material. “We output 300 000 tonnes per year for soda ash which is full capacity and 650 000 tonnes of Salt per year of which we are still at 300 000 full capacity short, but we can satisfy all our foreign market demand and we would still have excess available for any manufacturing and processing business in the township,” Mphathi who joined BotAsh from BCL in 2011 observed that for quality, their operations are ISO 9001 certified to ensure consistence and right quality of their product.
“We are in the process of putting operative alignments to enable extraction of other by-products like Sodium Bicarbonate and Potassium Sulphate, presenting more opportunities for manufacturing and processing business in the township, diversifying the economy and creating more jobs,” he noted.
Mphathi who has received accolades for his good corporate skill compared to his successor at BCL mine, which met its demise last year October, is believed to have left the company in good financial shape with diversified sources of income like fruit and vegetable farming and a reputable Corporate –Social Investment.
Ever since he joined Botswana Ash in 2011, Mphathi has flourished at the Southern Africa’s largest salt producer. In the 2015 financial year alone, Botswana Ash paid 91 million pula to its fifty per cent (50%) shareholder; Botswana Government. Late last year Mphathi announced a strategy that will see Botash double their revenue to 300 million by 2018.
Botash currently exports their products to South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but intends to expand its footprint into Mozambique, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola. In fact, Mphathi revealed that BotAsh will form strategic alliances in the detergent market and offer packaging variations to harness easier product development.
Recently Chlor Alkali Holdings, which owns the other 50 % stake in Botswana Ash, acquired market in Cerebos, the region’s leading table salt trader and BotAsh revealed that the transaction will enable them to push their product footprint in previously unexplored markets.
BotAsh will be looking to leverage on the Cerebos network to unlock new markets in the region. The deal has also enabled BotAsh to package Cerebos brands in Botswana and also distribute BotAsh products in established Cerebos outlets throughout the continent.
Botswana Ash operates chest out with an OHSAS 18001 certification for safety, ISO 14001 certification for environmental awareness and ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality.
It leads as currently the largest supplier of soda ash and industrial salt in southern Africa, with a staff complement of 452 employees mostly in the engineering and operations department. South Africa imports over 40 % of BotAsh products, followed by Zambia with 24 %, Zimbabwe at 16 and Malawi at 7 percent.
The Democratic Republic of Congo absorbs 2 % of Mphati’s products, while less quantity remain locally as Botswana buy just a little over 4 % , statistics which Minister Kebonang says do not make economic sense for a country that imports almost all of their finished salt and sodium products.
“We have to move towards wooing investors to set up processing and manufacturing industries here in Botswana so that most of BotAsh products are absorbed and processed here into finished products, thus diversifying the economy and creating jobs for our own,” Kebonang suggested.
Botswana Ash (Pty) Ltd began operating in April 1991. The Company produces Soda Ash and Salt. It was established at a cost of P736 million, with an additional P100 million investment in supporting infrastructure in the form of Sowa township. All the activities of the mine are undertaken at Sowa – from production through to marketing and sales and administration.
Business
Grit divests from Letlole La Rona
Grit Services Limited, a member of the pan African real estate group, London Stock Exchange listed Grit Real Estate Income Group is divesting from Letlole La Rona Limited (LLR), a local real estate company established by government investment arm Botswana Development Corporation over a decade ago.
The Board of Directors of Letlole La Rona Limited this week announced in a statement to Unitholders that Grit Services Limited (‘Grit’) has informed them of its intention to exit its investment in the company.
Grit has been a material shareholder in LLR since 2019. On 07 March 2023, Grit sold 6 421 000 linked units, representing 2.29% of the Company’s total securities in issue, at a market value of BWP 22 537 710.
This trade follows previous sales of 6.79% in December 2022, as communicated to Unitholders on 10 January 2023, as well as a further sale of 4.78% (representing 13 347 068 linked units) on 24 February 2023 to various shareholders.
In aggregate, Grit has sold 13.9% shareholding in the Letlole La Rona between December 2022 and March 2023, resulting in current shareholding of 11.25% in the Company.
Letlole La Rona said in the statement that the exit process will take place in an orderly manner so as to maintain stability of the Company’s share price.
The statement explained that Grit’s sale of its entire shareholding in LLR is in line with its decision to exit investments where it does not have majority control, or where it has significant exposure to currencies other than US dollar, Euro or hard-currency-pegged revenue streams.
“Grit has announced similar decisions pertaining to certain of its hospitality assets in Mauritius recently. The Company would like to advise Unitholders that it remains focused on long-term value delivery to all stakeholders” LLR said
In July last year as part of their Go-to-Africa strategy Letlole La Rona acquired an initial 30% equity stake in Orbit Africa Logistics, with an option to increase this investment to 50%. OAL is a special purpose vehicle incorporated in Mauritius, owning an industrial asset in a prime industrial node in Nairobi, Kenya.
The co-investment was done alongside a wholly owned subsidiary of London listed Grit. The Orbit facility is situated on a prime industrial site on Mombasa Road, the principal route south of Nairobi center, serving the main industrial node, the port of Mombasa and the industrial town of Athi River and is strategically located 11 kilometers south of the international airport and 9.6 kilometers from the Inland Container Depot.
Grit shareholding in Letlole La Rona was seen as strategic for LLR, for the company to leverage on Grit’s already existing continental presence and expand its wings beyond Botswana borders as already delivered by Kenya transaction.
Media reports have however suggested that LLR and Grit have since late last year had fundamental disagreements on how to go about the Go-to-Africa strategy amongst other things, fuelled by alleged Botswana government interference on the affairs of LLR.
Government through LLR founding shareholder – Botswana Development Corporation has a controlling stake of around 40 percent in the company. Government is the sole shareholder of Botswana Development Corporation.
Letlole La Rona recently released their financial results for the six months ended December 2022, revenue increased by 4% to P50.2 million from P48.4 million in the prior comparative six months, whilst operating profit was up 8% to P36.5 million. Profit before tax of P49.7 million was reported, an increase of 8% on the prior comparative six months.
“We are encouraged by the strong results, notwithstanding a challenging economic environment. Our performance was mainly underpinned by annual lease escalations, our quality tenant base and below average market vacancy levels, especially in our warehouse portfolio,” Kamogelo Mowaneng, Letlole La Rona Chief Executive Officer commented.
LLR reported a weighted average lease expiry period of 3.3 years and escalation rates averaging 6.8% per annum for the period ended 31 December 2022.Its investment portfolio value increased by 14% year-on-year to close the period at P1.4 billion, mainly driven by the acquisition of a 30% stake in OAL in July 2022.
The Company also recorded a significant increase in other income, predominantly due to foreign exchange gains on the OAL shareholder loan. “We continue to explore pipeline opportunities locally, and regionally in line with our Go-to-Africa strategy and our interest remains on value-accretive investments,” Mowaneng said.
An interim distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit was declared on the 6th of February 2023 for the half-year period to 31 December 2022, comprising of a dividend of 0.05 thebe and debenture interest of 9.06 thebe per linked unit which will be paid to linked unit holders registered in the books of the Company at the close of business on 24 February 2023.
Business
Stargems Group establishes Training Center in BW
Internationally-acclaimed diamond manufacturing company StarGems Group has established the Stargems Diamond Training Center which will be providing specialized training in diamond manufacturing and evaluation.
The Stargems Diamond Training Institute is located at the Stargems Group Botswana Unit in Gaborone.
“In accordance with the National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS) which holds the principle that through education and skills development as well as the strategic alignment between national ambitions and individual capabilities, Botswana will become a prosperous, productive and innovative nation due to the quality and efficacy of its citizenry. The Training Centre will provide a range of modules in theory and in practice; from rough diamond evaluation to diamond grading and polishing for Batswana, at no cost for eight weeks. The internationally- recognized certificate offered in partnership with Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Training School presents invaluable opportunities for Batswana to access in the diamond industry locally and internationally. The initiative is an extension of our Corporate Social Investment to the community in which we operate,” said Vishal Shah, Stargems Group Managing Director, during the launch of the Stargems Diamond Training Center.
In order to participate in this rare opportunity, interested candidates are invited to submit a police clearance certificate and a BGCSE certificate only to the Stargems offices. Students who excel in these programs will have the chance to be onboarded by the Stargems Group. This serves as motivation for them to go through this training with a high level of seriousness.
“Community empowerment is one of our CSR principles. We believe that businesses can only thrive when their communities are well taken of. We are hoping that our presence will be impactful to various communities and economies. In the six countries that we are operating in, we have contributed through dedicating 10% of our revenues during COVID-19 to facilitate education, donating to hospitals and also to NGOs committed to supporting women and children living with HIV. One key issue that we are targeting in Botswana is the rate of unemployment amongst the youth. We are looking forward to working closely with the government and other relevant authorities to curb unemployment,” said Shah.
Currently, Stargems Group has employed 117 Batswana and they are looking forward to growing the numbers to 500 as the company grows. Majority of the employees will be graduates from the Stargems Diamond Training Center. This initiation has been received with open arms by the general public and stakeholders. During the launch, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Honorable Lefoko Moagi, stated that the ministry fully endorses Stargems Diamond Training and will work closely with the Group to support and grow the initiative.
“As a ministry, we see this as an game changer that is aligned with one of the United Nations’ Six Priority Sustainable Development Goals, which is to Advance Opportunity and Impact for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). What Stargems Group is launching today will have a huge impact on the creation of employment in Botswana. An economy’s productivity rises as the number of educated workers increases as its skilled workmanship increases. It is not a secret that low skills perpetuate poverty and widen the inequality gap, therefore the development of skills has the potential to contribute significantly to structural transformation and economic growth by enhancing employability and helping the country become more competitive. We are grateful to see the emergence of industry players such as Stargems Group who have strived to create such opportunities that mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy,” said the Minister of Minerals and Energy.
Business
Food import bill slightly declines
The latest figures released by Statistics Botswana this week shows that food import bill for Botswana slightly declined from around P1.1 billion in November 2022 to around P981 million in December during the same year.
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