Botswana will participate in UAE global showcase

15th Global Expo Botswana to be virtual

Botswana is still set to participate in the oldest, grandest and largest global event, the World Exposition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates ( UAE) that was first scheduled to take place this October but has since been postponed to October 1, 2021 due to Covid- 19.

The global event under the theme, "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" takes place every five years and lasts for six months. It is expected to provide an opportunity for Botswana to connect directly with global citizens to promote culture, values, technological and economic capabilities.

Organisers expect at least 25 million people to visit the expo over the six months duration. The expo is also premised on developing innovative partnerships across sectors, organisations and geographies to address global challenges.

Botswana Investment and Trade Centre ( BITC) Chief Executive Officer, Keletsositse Olebile told the media this week that so far over 192 countries have confirmed their participation. He said Botswana would be represented by its own pavilion stall at the Expo that has been sponsored by the UAE government, valued at US$ 1.5 million.

According to Olebile, the pavilion structure is 400m2 in total 213m2 ground floor exhibition space plus 178m2 first floor office space.

“We are very grateful to the UAE government for the sponsorship,” Olebile said, adding that they continue to coordinate stakeholders to ensure that “we” can have a successful show for Botswana at the Expo.

Stakeholder engagement according to Olebile started in March 2019. Event organisers say irrespective of their size or technological state of advancement, every nation represented at the expo will have something special and unique to contribute and to learn from the Expo in Dubai.

Meanwhile, the 15th annual Global Expo Botswana will this year be held virtually from November 17 to 20, 2020 under the theme, ‘ Using disruptive tech to shape the new normal in the era of Covid- 19 and beyond.’ The expo will also host virtual Investment Battlefield, a platform where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas in order to secure investment finance from local and foreign investors in exchange for equity.

According to BITC, business- to- business meetings will run over the four days followed by a further 15 days of follow ups and more businessto- business engagements between the exhibition and attendees.