- Tsaone Segaetsho
President Mokgweetsi Masisi, speaking in Gaborone on Thursday, described the launch of the Airport City Special Economic Zone as a “watershed moment” for Botswana’s economic transition.
Masisi hailed the project as a landmark step towards Botswana’s goal of becoming a high-income economy.
“…Indeed, this is more than just another moment to celebrate a new development, but a landmark testament of yet another step forward in our journey to catapult Botswana into a High-Income Economic status,” said Masisi in his keynote address.
He emphasised that the project highlights the country’s efforts to diversify its economy and prepare for a time when diamond resources are depleted.
Masisi told the audience at the launch of the Special Economic Zone that this journey began as early as May 2011, followed by the legislation of Special Economic Zones, which progressed slowly until it became law in 2018, leading to the establishment of the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA). SEZA’s mandate is to develop and manage economic zones in Botswana.
Regarding the Airport City, Masisi said this Special Economic Zone has been established as a world-class Diamonds and Logistics City.
“It is a mixed-use SEZ where core economic activities will include diamond beneficiation, aerospace and aviation works, cargo handling and storage, agro-processing, pharmaceutical, specialist automotive, and plastics injection moulding. This SEZ is a collaborative project between the Special Economic Zone Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB), whose infrastructure development was fully funded by the government,” said Masisi.
The Airport City Project received P100 million in funding, and Bothakga Burrow was contracted for the detailed design, infrastructure development, and construction of Boulevard 1 Road at its flagship Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
According to project managers, the project is approximately the size of Gaborone’s Central Business District and will include the construction of a 1.8-kilometre dual carriageway connecting to Airport Road, near the Diamond Trading Company Botswana.
Designers noted that the project will feature an urban design scheme providing underground services such as water, wastewater, surface water, fibre, power, lighting, smart city ducting, and CCTV. The facility will be multi-use, offering residential, retail, industrial, civic, and community spaces, according to SEZA’s designers.
Masisi stated that anticipated investors in the Airport City will inject over P2 billion into the project and create over 1,000 direct jobs.
“Other large-scale property developments will include office spaces, industrial parks, high-end residential areas, retail malls, schools, and hospitals. Truly, the Airport City SEZ will transform the look and feel of Gaborone as we know it. This presents an opportunity for local companies to register as SEZ investors and set up retail, healthcare, arts, fitness, childcare, storage, and entertainment facilities to complement the lifestyle within the Airport City SEZ,” said Masisi.
He acknowledged that the Special Economic Zones projects have been a costly endeavour, involving extensive studies and detailed designs.
SEZA is tasked with developing eight SEZ sites, including: Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA), Francistown and Selebi Phikwe as mixed-use SEZs, Tuli Block and Pandamatenga as Agropolis SEZs, Lobatse as a meat and leather SEZ, Fairgrounds as an International Finance and Technology SEZ, and Greater Palapye as an Energy SEZ.
