African Business 2021

SPECIAL FEATURE
Neighbours working together
for growth
A bridge is being built between Botswana and Namibia.
Namdock’s repair facility at Walvis Bay. Credit: Namdock
A
new bridge over the Okavango River
neatly symbolises increased ties
between Botswana and Namibia,
neighbours within the Southern
African Development Community (SADC),
but the two countries are cooperating on a
range of other initiatives as well.
The bridge at Mohembo in the north-west
of Botswana will facilitate better access to the
Caprivi Strip in Namibia. An Italian joint venture
between Itinera SPA and Cimolai was appointed
by Botswana’s Ministry of Finance and Economic
Development and is expected to be completed
in May 2021. CPP Botswana is consulting on the
project. Sectors that are expected to benefit
include tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and
the film industry.
The two countries are also discussing the
possibility of jointly building solar power projects
with a view to supplying their own markets and
exporting into Southern Africa. This project is
backed by Power Africa, a USAID initiative that
works to bring together state and private actors
to add more than 30 000MW to the continent’s
capacity. Botswana is reliant on coal-fired power
stations and Namibia currently imports more than
60% of its electricity requirements.
Botswana has plans for new thermal and solar
plants which it will develop independently to
become self-sufficient in energy. Diversification
is an important part of the plan although the
country still has vast reserves of coal, estimated
to be 200-billion tons. The state-owned Botswana
Power Corporation (BPC) will retain distribution
rights to electricity, but licences have been granted
to three private power producers for 827MW.
Four wind farms in the Tsau/Khaeb National
Park in Namibia will help to wean the country off
foreign supply of energy. State-owned NamPower
is building two farms which will generate 90MW.
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