Botswana’s agricultural sector has received a major boost with the appointment of Lilian Costa Scheepers as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB). Scheepers, a dynamic figure in the country’s farming and agribusiness landscape, steps into the role with a strong track record in corporate strategy, farmer advocacy, and agricultural development.
Her appointment is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen food security, expand local production, and position agriculture as a key contributor to national economic growth.
Scheepers, a Brazilian-born citizen who embraces Botswana as her home, has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s most passionate and influential leaders. Until her latest appointment, she served as CEO of the Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association, where she represented the country’s largest grain producers. In this role, she played a central part in driving cereal and pulse production and branding the Pandamatenga region as the “Food Basket of Botswana.”
Her appointment is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen food security, expand local production, and position agriculture as a key contributor to national economic growth.
Her leadership has been characterised by strategic vision, practical solutions for farmers, and a commitment to unlocking Botswana’s agricultural potential. Scheepers has been vocal about the need to increase local crop production to reduce import dependence and raise agriculture’s contribution to national GDP.
Armed with an MBA from the University of São Paulo and expertise spanning corporate finance, agribusiness, conservation, and nonprofit management, she has co-founded key organisations including the Botswana Grain Producers Association, NCONGO and Bana Ba Letatsi Trust. Her extensive experience positions her strongly to guide BAMB as it works to stabilise markets, support farmers, and ensure reliable national food supplies.
