A statement from the Ministry says Gaolathe and AfDB group president, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, will discuss extending the Bank’s technical support and capacity-building assistance to accelerate the BETP. They will also explore “innovative financing solutions that can be deployed at scale to support Botswana’s development priorities”.
“The meeting will also explore collaboration with the AfDB on the possible establishment of a Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Industrialisation Fund, following an assignment by SACU for Botswana and South Africa Ministers of Finance to engage the Bank on this initiative,” the Ministry said. From Abidjan, Gaolathe will proceed to Tbilisi, Georgia for a working visit from 12 to 15 January 2026, for talks that will inform “Botswana’s ongoing efforts to restructure and strengthen its financing architecture in support of private sector growth and job creation”. “Georgia has been identified as a country with effective funding architecture, particularly in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, innovation, and productive sectors.
“During the visit, the Vice President and Minister of Finance will engage with Ministers and senior government officials on the design and implementation of Georgia’s funding systems,” the statement reads. The AfDB is a regular technical and financial partner to Botswana, having approved a $304 million loan last May for budget support. Prior to that the multilateral development finance institution, founded by the African Union, provided a timely $1.5 billion loan to Botswana during the global recession of 2009.
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Georgia, meanwhile, is notable for surviving economic collapse following its breakaway from the Soviet Republic in 1991. Today, the country boasts a free market economy and is ranked upper-middle income. Georgia’s rapid economic transformation earned it the tag of “the world’s number one economic reformer” in 2007 by the World Bank.
The crimes detailed elsewhere in this edition from the loss of a former minister to the heartbreaking murder of a child, and public arson to relentless gender-based violence, paint a distressing picture of a society under strain.These are not isolated tragedies. They are a collective alarm bell, ringing out as we enter a period meant for peace and goodwill.The festive season, while a time of joy, can also amplify existing pressures.
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