A newly signed trade and investment cooperation agreement between Rwanda and Botswana is expected to unlock regional market opportunities for Rwandan businesses and deepen industrial collaboration. The agreement, signed during President Paul Kagame’s state visit to Botswana, establishes a framework to promote trade, investment and industrial cooperation, with a focus on expanding cross-border investment and strengthening institutional collaboration in line with the principles of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the World Trade Organization. ALSO READ: Rwanda, Botswana sign six cooperation deals According to Doreen Ntawebasa, Director General for Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the agreement targets strategic sectors including agro-processing, manufacturing, leather, textiles and clothing, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperative development, special economic zones, regional value chains, standards and quality control, as well as broader trade facilitation. “The agreement is expected to create opportunities for Rwandan SMEs by enabling access to new regional markets, participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, and integration into regional value chains,” Ntawebasa told The New Times. She noted that the partnership will also support development of SMEs through skills transfer while helping to reduce trade barriers, improve market access, and encourage technical and industrial cooperation that can enable local businesses to scale up. ALSO READ: Rwanda-Botswana business forum discusses trade, investment The trade pact was among six bilateral agreements signed by Rwanda and Botswana on May 6 in Gaborone, in the presence of President Kagame and Botswana’s President Duma Boko. Other agreements covered taxation, aviation, health, visa abolition for holders of diplomatic, official and national passports, and cooperation between Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Botswana Investment and Trade Centre. The agreements followed the second Rwanda-Botswana Business Forum, which brought together government officials and private sector players, including from mining, tourism, finance and digital services.
