• Global investors ‘can use Botswana as a gateway and a pedestal as they launch into the continent,’ says Butale
• Relations with US ‘strong enough’ to overcome tariff tensions, says minister

ANTALYA, Türkiye

Botswana is aiming for a renewable energy transition and could become a key entry point for investors looking to tap into African markets, according to the country’s International Relations Minister Phenyo Butale.

Botswana has “huge potential in terms of solar energy” and “an intentional and deliberate plan to ensure that there is an aggressive move towards this transition to renewable energy,” Butale told Anadolu at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025 in Türkiye.

The minister emphasized that the country’s political stability and peaceful democratic transition in October 2024 – which ended nearly six decades of rule by the Botswana Democratic Party – are strong signals for the international community that “their investment into Botswana is absolutely safe.”

“If they want to venture into the region, the Southern African region, or into Africa, they can use Botswana as the gateway and a pedestal as they launch into the continent,” he said.

Highlighting Botswana’s presence at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Butale described the gathering as “very insightful,” especially in the face of shared global challenges like climate change.

“We have been able to say to everybody that Botswana is open for business,” he said, pointing to untapped opportunities in the country’s resource-rich mining sector.

“Botswana has potential in the mineral sector. We have 75% of unexplored, unmined (land) … which is rich in critical minerals that everybody is rushing for.”

Impact of US tariffs and rethinking trade alliances

Botswana has also found itself among the African countries most affected by recent US reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration.

With tariffs on its exports – primarily diamonds – reaching 37%, Botswana is now the fourth most impacted African nation.

Despite the challenges, Butale expressed confidence in the strength of Botswana’s relationship with the US.

“We are confident that these relations are strong enough to come up with a solution that will benefit both our countries,” he said.

“But we also believe that this is an opportunity for us to … also reimagine the relations that we have with other countries.”

He emphasized the importance of “partnerships between geopolitically aligned countries,” suggesting that the changing global trade landscape could open new avenues for strategic collaboration beyond traditional allies.

Butale also addressed the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, emphasizing Botswana’s position – particularly as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – in favor of diplomatic solutions.

The countries in the region need to “ensure that all parties to these conflicts are at the table and that there is meaningful dialogue,” he added.