The first official visit of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, to Botswana on the occasion of the DRC-Botswana business forum has just ended. During this event, the Congolese head of state encouraged Botswana economic operators to come and invest in his country, which is full of opportunities.
The DRC and Botswana have long had a good relationship, but their focus now is on reinvigorating their bilateral relationship by building strong, prosperous and robust economies for the well-being of the people.
In his vision, President Tshisekedi presented proposals to strengthen economic relations between the two countries. First of all, the DRC has a strategic geographical position, making it a gateway to Central, West and East Africa leading to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, thus covering a market of almost 100 million consumers. In addition, the President underlined the legal stability of business relations in the DRC. This is a crucial point regarding the risks associated with investing in this country.
Félix Tshisekedi also explained the historical orientation of the Congolese economy towards the mining sector, which deprived the country of the added value of its natural resources, essential for its growth and job creation. The president has therefore planned to transform the raw material on site to change this paradigm.
The DRC has considerable natural resource potential, including large oil and gas deposits. In addition to this, the large Inga project can transport the energy to the depths of southern Africa, to Botswana if necessary.
Finally, Félix Tshisekedi announced the opening of the DRC embassy in Gaborone, Botswana, to strengthen relations between the two governments.
All this shows that the DRC is a country open to investment, where business relations are stable and prosperous. President Tshisekedi has offered many opportunities for Botswana economic operators, but also for investors around the world