Our New Plant - Gaborone, Botswana

Our new state of the art plant set to be based in the SSKIA Economic Zone in Gaborone. It will showcase our unique technology in the upgrading of low-grade minerals to pharmaceutical and battery grade additives and metals including lithium, antimony, and zinc. Together with our technical, operations and logistics teams, we aim to create 50 new jobs in the first year of operation. Part of our development initiative is to run an intern learnership programme at Gemtoll SA to assist young ambitious process technicians in developing themselves via the mentorship of our highly skilled leadership team.

Why the SSKIA SEZ?

The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport Special Economic Zone (SSKIA SEZ) is a world class special economic zone and the flagship of the country’s Special Economic Zones. An Airport City development is earmarked for this zone. It is investor friendly and ecologically sustainable.

The zone is strategically located for business, adjacent to Botswana’s largest airport, the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. The airport links the zone to international destinations and markets.

Situated at the heart of SSKIA, the Special Economic Zone is set to transform Gaborone into both a key business gateway and a noteworthy player in the global supply chain of goods. What makes the SEZ unique is that it offers a variety of incentives for investors.

SSKIA SEZ is set to transform Gaborone into both a key business gateway and a noteworthy player in the global supply chain of goods. What makes the SEZ unique is that it offers a variety of incentives for investors, including a 5 percent corporate tax rate, employment tax as well as duty free on imported equipment.

The tax incentives for qualifying companies include: VAT and customs relief, if located within a Customs-Controlled Area (CCA); the employment tax incentive; building allowance; and reduced corporate income tax rate.

Characteristics of a CCA include:

• Import duty rebate and VAT exemption on imports of production-related raw materials, including machinery and assets, to be used in production with the aim of exporting the finished products;
• VAT suspension under specific conditions for supplies procured in Botswana; and
• Efficient and expedited customs administration.

Incentives

• Highly competitive tax incentives, among lowest in Africa.
• Competitive VAT rates on raw materials for manufacturing for exports.
• Repatriation of profits and capital.
• Duty free imports of specialist plant and machinery for manufacturing purposes.
• Waiver on transfer duty on land and property.
• Long term renewable leases.
• Assistance with obtaining visas and work permits.
• Fast tracked land allocation.
• One stop center to enhance access to business services.
• Quick business online registration.
• Provision of Aftercare services to fast-track project roll out.
• Efficient customs facilitation.

Botswana has preferential market access to

• American market through AGOA with access to 625 product lines.
• European market through both the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and the SACU – European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
• Both SACU & SADC with a population of 277 million.
• The whole of Africa market through the African Continent Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) with a market of about 1billion.
• COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Agreement – popn. 625Million.
• SACU – MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.).

International Rankings

• Credit Rating.
• Moody’s Credit Rating: A2.
• Standards and Poors: A-.
• Ease of Doing Business: 4th in Africa.
• Transparency International (2017).
• Anti-Corruption Index - 34 / 180 globally.
• Least corrupt in Africa.
• The most stable macroeconomic environment in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Preferential incentives in Special Economic Zones.
• High credit rating.
• No currency control.
• Young trainable workforce.
• Relatively low labour cost.
• High literacy rate and high level of English proficiency.
• Online company registration.
• Efficient One Stop Shop services.
• Ranked 1st in Africa for the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI).
• Amongst the top 5 countries in Africa with the lowest cost of living.
• Full Repatriation of Profits and Capital.