Water For Justice

LESOTHO IN AFRICAN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN SA

Lesotho is among 12 African countries to showcase their investment opportunities at a two-day Africa Investment Growth Forum 2008 at Midrand, South Africa from Tuesday.

There are more than 50 Basotho attending the forum, which held at Gallagher Convention, Midrand in South Africa.

At this forum, which is aimed at promoting new trade and investment flows, the Lesotho delegation that comprises different business organisations and government ministries is led by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Lesao Lehohla.

The focus of this year’s Forum, which has brought together business and political leaders from across the continent, is intended to strengthen linkages between African economies as a means to promote new investments.

The forum will showcase major investment opportunities in 12 countries, namely: Lesotho, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.

This year's forum focuses on large-scale participation for the first time for investment promotion agencies from east, central and southern Africa. It will market projects to international investment banks and financial institutions.

The forum will also provide a platform to bring investors and projects together to enhance African trade and investment, and to build new business partnerships.

Meanwhile, Lesotho is there to make offers on clothing textile and footwear sectors, including investment opportunities in knitted fabrics and mills, electrical and electronics appliances and food processing.

Others are water bottling, plastic products, resource-based products such as sandstones as well as environment projects.

It is therefore expected that the forum will help unveil the new opportunities which Basotho business people can explore worldwide and hence improve business industry in the country.

Except learning from their counterparts how they operate their businesses, Basotho will also learn how to improve the private sector, which lacks support from the developed countries at the moment.

The Forum will specifically focus on key economic sectors including: Accelerating African investments in Africa and Responding to the opportunities of the SADC free trade zone.

It will also focus on natural resources contributing to sustainable development; strengthening transport infrastructure; improving the investment climate; supporting SME growth; and business action against corruption.

The forum has been co-organised by the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA).