The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and Okavango Wilderness Safaris have partnered to improve market access for citizen-owned businesses in Botswana’s tourism sector, with the two organisations launching a Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme (CEEP) aimed at developing competitive local suppliers.
The partnership, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement, seeks to tackle one of the biggest constraints facing small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) – limited access to sustainable markets despite increasing local production capacity.
Speaking at the launch, LEA Caretaker Chief Executive Officer Thato Jensen said the initiative represents more than a partnership between two institutions, describing it as a strategic intervention to expand opportunities for citizen-owned enterprises within Botswana’s tourism and hospitality value chain.
He said the programme supports government’s economic diversification and citizen economic empowerment agenda while advancing LEA’s 2026–2029 corporate strategy, which prioritises improving market access for SMMEs.
Although many local enterprises produce quality goods and services, Jensen said most continue to struggle to secure consistent buyers, making it difficult to obtain financing, expand operations and compete effectively.
“Market access remains one of the greatest barriers to the growth and sustainability of SMMEs, both globally and here in Botswana,” he said.
Under the agreement, LEA will provide entrepreneurship training, business advisory services, mentorship, technical skills development, governance support for community enterprises, preparation of bankable business plans and continuous business performance monitoring.
The authority says the goal is to build enterprises capable of supplying not only Wilderness but also the broader tourism and hospitality industry.
Okavango Wilderness Safaris Caretaker Managing Director Joe Matome said the partnership builds on the company’s long-standing strategy of localising procurement and increasing citizen participation in Botswana’s tourism economy.
He noted that tourism remains one of the country’s leading economic sectors, employing more than 50,500 Batswana, or 6.7 percent of the national workforce, but said greater efforts are needed to ensure citizen-owned businesses benefit across the industry’s value chain.
According to Matome, Wilderness procured goods and services worth P292 million from Botswana-registered businesses during the 2024/25 financial year, representing more than 80 percent of the company’s total procurement expenditure.
He said the company has spent P1.8 billion on local procurement over the past decade, paid more than P1.2 billion in wages to nearly 1,000 citizen employees and contributed over P305 million in concession fees to government and local communities.
The company’s next priority, he said, is to expand procurement from citizen-owned businesses while strengthening the capacity of local enterprises to compete within the tourism sector.
The initiative builds on the success of Wilderness’ inaugural Local Supplier Expo held in 2024, which attracted more than 110 citizen-owned businesses. Of those, 68 were enrolled into a supplier development programme, with 37 now actively supplying the company and 18 continuing to receive business support.
The programme has already generated procurement contracts worth more than P15 million for participating businesses.
“Sustainable businesses require more than access to finance,” Matome said. “They need mentorship, governance, stronger systems, technical expertise, coaching and market intelligence.”
The LEA-Wilderness partnership is expected to strengthen citizen participation in Botswana’s tourism economy by addressing one of the sector’s long-standing challenges connecting local businesses to dependable commercial markets.