Botswana’s capital markets could get a boost after the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) and Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) signed an agreement to prepare BDC-backed businesses for public listing.
In a Memorandum of Understanding signed this week by the two parastatsls, the agreement, establishes a framework for collaboration on listing and capital-raising pathways, investment-readiness programmes and the promotion of equity and debt market instruments.
This is a partnership that could create a pipeline of mature BDC investee companies from sectors including manufacturing, property, agribusiness, tourism and services, giving them a pathway to raise capital through the public market.
BSE Chief Executive Officer Aupa Monyatsi said the agreement aligns with all five pillars of the Exchange’s 10X by 2030 strategy, including talent development, internationalisation, technology modernisation, product innovation and its broader role in contributing to society.
BSE Chief Executive Officer Aupa Monyatsi said the agreement aligns with all five pillars of the Exchange’s 10X by 2030 strategy, including talent development, internationalisation, technology modernisation, product innovation and its broader role in contributing to society.
He described the relationship between the two institutions as complementary rather than competitive.
“BDC builds and grows companies while BSE provides the platform for those companies to raise capital publicly,” Monyatsi said.
The MoU also provides for joint market research and intelligence-sharing, as well as capacity-building initiatives to help businesses become investment and listing ready.
Another significant area of collaboration will be exploring the establishment of an Infrastructure Fund to mobilise long-term institutional and private capital for bankable infrastructure projects in Botswana and potentially the wider region.
BDC Managing Director Oteng Keabetswe said the partnership could help translate development finance into broader citizen ownership.
He highlighted the opportunity for ordinary Batswana to eventually own shares in businesses supported by BDC, describing this as a pathway towards turning development investments into “shared, tangible wealth for citizens.”
Beyond potential listings, the partnership is expected to contribute to job creation and preservation, channel household savings into productive investments and support economic diversification.
The agreement comes as Botswana seeks to deepen domestic capital markets and increase private-sector participation in economic growth.
The institutions said their immediate priority will be identifying potential companies for the listing pipeline and supporting them through the preparation process.
Beyond potential listings, the partnership is expected to contribute to job creation and preservation, channel household savings into productive investments and support economic diversification.
For BDC-backed businesses, the partnership could provide an important transition from companies nurtured through development finance to enterprises capable of accessing capital directly from investors.
For the BSE, it offers an opportunity to broaden the market with locally grown businesses and deepen the role of Botswana’s capital markets in financing economic development.
