Spekboom Planting Campaign

Join us in our mission to make a positive impact on our environment by planting 50,000 Spekboom plants in 2025

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SA/UK Agricultural Sector Focus Seminar Banner

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Join industry leaders, innovators, and experts. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to network and learn.

Key Note Speakers & Presentation

Access the insightful presentations from our esteemed speakers at the event.

Dr. Maria Gonzalez speaking at agricultural conference

H.E. Dr. Sanji Monageng

High Commissioner of the Republic of

Botswana to the Republic of South Africa

Welcome Remarks


Her Excellency, Dr Monageng has a wealth of experience in international law practice particularly in the humanitarian and human rights fields where, among others, she has served at the international criminal court (ICC), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Both nationally and internationally, she has gained recognition for her contribution to the promotion of human rights, the rate of law and international justice. Accordingly, she has received a number of awards, including the Human Rights Award from the International association of Women Judges (IAW) in 2014, and the Presidential Order of Honour in 2013 for her outstanding service to Botswana.

With over two decades of service in the legal field, High Commissioner- Designate Dr. Monageng has contributed extensively to the legal profession in Botswana. Among others, she played an instrumental role in spearheading a continuing legal education programme for lawyers. In addition, from 1997-2002, she was the Founding Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of Botswana and is currently the president of the Botswana Competition and Consumer Tribunal. Her contribution towards Botswana's development agenda include those realised through her membership to various Boards and Associations, such as the National Association of Women Judges, as well as the leadership portfolios she holds, which includes Chair ship of the Gender Commission.

James Chen demonstrating AI farming technology

Bobo Senosi

RSA

Botswana Investment & Trade Centre

Doing Business in Botswana


Mr. Bobo Senosi has a cumulative 23 years' experience in the trade and investment field.

Following the merger of the then BEDIA and IFSC, which culminated in BITC coming to the fore he became Director International– RSA from 2013-2014 where he was instrumental in courting the likes of Virgin Active and Delta Automotive Technologies to internationalize from RSA into Botswana.

From 2020 to date, he continues to serve as Director International– RSA in his second tour of duty, responsible for attracting and redirecting investments destined to sub-Sahara Africa to Botswana.

Dr. Amara Okafor examining soil samples in field research

Madhu Menon

Country Managing Partner Forvis Mazars in Botswana

The Business Landscape in Botswana

Madhu is an expert in specialized Tax Consulting, Restructuring and Corporate Financing engagements of clients from various sectors, including property, manufacturing, non-profit, hospitality and retail services.

He specializes as an Accounting & Tax Expert.

Madhu is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has also served on various committees for Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA).

As the Regional Partner, Madhu leads Forvis Mazars in Botswana and all its 7 branches, employing over 220 professionals.

His rich experience and success in delivering value to his clients has made him one of the industry's 'experts of choice' when it comes to matters of Taxation.

Madhu Menon Country Managing Partner Forvis Mazars in Botswana

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Taona Kokera

Director-Infrastructure Finance Advisory Services

Forvis Mazars in South Africa

Moderator
Tourism | Manufacturing | ICT | Finance

Taona is currently a Director at Forvis Mazars and leads the Infrastructure Finance Advisory services sub service line in South Africa.

He has extensive experience in PPP advisory, transaction advisory, financial modelling and model auditing, forensics, fraud, and risk management.

Prior to joining Forvis Mazars, Taona commenced his career with EY Advisory Services.

In the last decade, he has overseen multiple country assignments across the African Continent..

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Neil Bald

COO: Hospitality and Tourism RDC

Property Group

TOURISM PANELIST

Neil Bald is a dynamic hotelier and asset manager with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Known for his strategic vision and operational expertise, Neil has successfully managed and grown a diverse portfolio of hotel properties, ranging from large-scale luxury resorts to upper end lodges all across Sluo Saharan Africa with a recent emphasis on Botswana.

His career began with a deep passion for hospitality, which led to earning a degree in hotel management, a Bachelor of Commerce and a degree in Marketing. Neil has held various roles in renowned hotel brands.

With a keen eye for identifying growth opportunities, Neil has been instrumental in guiding property acquisitions, refurbishments, and branding initiatives.

His leadership style emphasizes innovation, customer service excellence, and team collaboration. He is skilled in financial modelling, market analysis, and negotiating contracts, making Neil a key figure in ensuring the profitability and long-term sustainability of hotel assets.

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Asnath Breseno

Managing Director

Direct BPO (Subsidiary of MASCOM)

ICT PANELIST

Asnath Breseno is a Managing Director at Direct BPO, a subsidiary of Mascom Wireless a Mobile Network Operator in Botswana.

Direct BPO is a business process outsourcing service provider offering different BPO services to various industries.

She has worked for over 25 years in the telecommunications industry, holding different positions in training and development, quality management and customer management.

Asnath's professional achievements include; managing companywide system and process implementation projects; setting up different functions and divisions within a company; setting up and managing a BPO company and leading company to ISO accreditation.

She is also the current chairperson of Outsource Botswana. Asnath holds an MBA from University of Botswana.

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Vijay Naik

Managing Director

Fio-Tek

MANUFACTURING PANELIST

Vijay Naik is an entrepreneur, founder and Managing Director of Fio-Tek, a regional leader in manufacturing of plastic pipes and fittings. His journey in Botswana started in 1983 after arriving from his native country India.

Upon arrival in Botswana he worked for a concrete and brick manufacturing company and later joined an FMCG group. He founded Fio-Tek in 1998 in the small town of Lobatse; driven by a desire to establish a unique industry in Botswana and create a long-lasting brand against a believe that Botswana was not a suitable place to create big industrial companies.

Driven by the desire to succeed, he created a state of art enterprise that has not stopped growing thanks to a smart innovative product diversification to cater for the growing customer demands. He has expanded Fio-Tek presence beyond Botswana into the SADC region; this has been made possible by the earned reputation for quality products, building on great customer relationships, maintaining the integrity of our business culture, and having a clear vision of taking the company to greater heights and serving the entire African market.

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Tisietso Saul

Head of Growth Capital & BEE Financing

ABSA Corporate & Investment Banking

FINANCE PANELIST

Tisietso Saul is the Head of Growth Capital and BEE Financing unit at Absa Corporate and Investment Banking, a unit that seeks to support previously disadvantaged individuals and Black Industrials, on the African continent.

Saul has deep technical, and management experience gained over 25 years serving in the financial services industry, across Leverage finance, BEE finance, private equity, business development and general investment banking activities.

Saul is a social and gender activist with a passion for Black Economic Empowerment and economic empowerment of women. He is a strong Pan-Africanist with working experience spanning across many African countries, including Botswana, Kenya, DRC, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.

He holds an MBA from GIBS and BCom (Corporate Finance and Investment) from Wits University

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Jatin Kasan

Partner - Audit: Financial Services Forvis Mazars in South Africa

Moderator

Mining | Agriculture | Finance

Since joining Forvis Mazars – he has gained international financial services experience working at the Forvis Mazars in New York office as an Audit Senior, servicing various banks & hedge funds. Jatin’s key technical focus areas include banking, asset management, financial markets and other financial services providers. He has led various projects beside key regulators in the industry including the South African Reserve Bank and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Jatin has mentored/lectured over 1000 students whilst being involved in this industry since 2015.

Jatin has mentored/lectured over 1000 students whilst being involved in this industry since 2015.

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Mr Tshephang Motimed

Head of Engineering Morupule Coal Mine (Botswana)
MINING PANELIST

Mr. Tshephang Motimedi currently serves as the Head of Engineering at Morupule Coal Mine (MCM), a role he has held since 2020.

His impressive career reflects a wealth of experience in Engineering, Project Management, and Asset Management, with a specific focus on quality and SHE management systems, productivity, and cost efficiency.

His leadership has extended beyond operational responsibilities, as he has mentored and coached young engineers both at MCM and across the broader mining industry in Botswana, contributing significantly to the professional development of future engineering talent.

Looking ahead, Mr. Motimedi's strategic vision is focused on further leveraging technology and sustainable practices in mining engineering.

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Tineyl Chatiza

Group Head of Corporate Services

SEED CO

Tineyl Chatiza has nearly two decades of diverse experience spanning multi-sector investment banking, accounting, fund management, governance, compliance, and risk management. He has worked in banking for the better part of his career, and agriculture for the past 6 years. Tineyl’s experience and qualifications in banking and accounting, makes him a rounded expert in finance, governance and agriculture. Currently he is the Head of Corporate Services for the Seed Co Group in charge of governance, M&A, and financial reporting.

Seed Co Group

Seed Co is a Pan African seed business that develops, breeds and supplies certified seed species with a focus on field crops and vegetable seeds serving mainly the smallholder farmer across Africa.

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Tebogo Giddie

Corporate Director

Corporate and Investment Banking

Absa Bank Botswana

Tebogo holds a bachelor's degree in Human Resources from the University of Durban and an MSc in Strategic Management from the University of Derby. Her career in Banking commenced in 2008 as a Learning and Talent Development Manager in Retail Banking and during this period her training and development skills accorded her the opportunity to facilitate regional training certifications which exposed her to working with key markets in Africa. Overtime her exposure expanded into Corporate Banking where she secured the role of Associate Director, Transactional Banking Sales in 2011. She is now the Corporate Director responsible for Corporate and Investment Banking at ABSA Bank Botswana.

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Mr. Sipho Shoyisa,

Manager Strategic Export and Trade Development Gauteng Growth and Development Agency South Africa

GALTERING TRADE & INVESTMENT

A results-oriented professional with a Master's degree in Business Management specializing in international business and a robust background in facilitating trade, investment, and market access strategies.

Experienced strategic business leader with over a decade of expertise spanning various roles within economic development agencies in diverse sectors, including trade compliance, regulatory enablement, financial management, supply chain management, procurement, new business development, and customer relations

Spino possess a keen ability to identify business opportunities, develop strategic partnerships, and navigate complex regulatory landscapes to facilitate investment and trade projects. Notably, His efforts have led to substantial growth in export deals, Strategic Export and Trade Development engagement, project facilitation, and navigating complex regulatory environments.

Governified to delivering results and driving economic growth through strategic institutions. Ready to leverage expertise in organizations to drive impactful trade and Investment outcomes

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Arlene Wilson-Max

Director Innovative Entrepreneurs NPC

Arlene Wilson-Max has dedicated 23 years working towards the development of businesses throughout all sectors of industry. With vast experience in sourcing products, setting up business linkages and facilitating incoming and outgoing trade missions, she has grown her network into 15 African Countries.

She is the Director of “Innovative Entrepreneurs”, a non-profit organisation that focuses on initiatives leading to income-generating activities and market access for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities.

She is an Executive Committee Member of the SA Chamber UK and promotes trade and investment between the UK and South Africa.

She is passionate about bringing like-minded Captains of Industry, Senior Government Officials, and Civil Society together to explore ways to promote sustainable and meaningful socio-economic development.

She was announced the Winner of the South Africa Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award.

Speaker Presentations

Doing Business In Botswana –The Business landscape

Speaker: Madhu Menon

Country Managing Partner Forvis Mazers in Botswana

Botswana at a Glance

Speaker: Mr. Bobo Senosi

Director International-RSA. Botswana Investment and Trade

Connecting Botswana & Gauteng Province GGDA Presentation

Speaker: Mr Sipho Shoyisa

Manager Strategic Export and Trade Development Gauteng Growth and Development Agency South Africa

Events Gallery

Click below to explore the photo gallery and relive the highlights from our recent events!

Misty mountain landscape at sunrise

Botswana Country Focus Seminar

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Ambassadors & Executives Networking Luncheon

For additional information, please contact

Arlene Wilson-Max, Director, Innovative Entrepreneurs NPC on Cell: 079 108 0316 or Email: arlene@innovative.org.za

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