SSKIA SEZ – A WORLD CLASS SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE

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. This attractive international investment location has been designated as a mixed zone primarily focusing on the following sectors;

• • Diamond Beneficiation (Diamond Polishing, Jewellery)
• Specialist Automotive
• Aerospace and Aviation
• Cargo, Freight and Logistics
• Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices
• Engineering and Electronic Equipment
• Plastics – Injection Moulding
• Agro processing

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.
Road/Rail Connection
The regional cross roads system of the A1 and A12 links the zone to neighbouring international markets. There is a railway line linking the zone to markets in South Africa, to the south, Zimbabwe and Zambia to the north.
These air/road/rail connections ease movement of goods to international markets, for the ultimate convenience of investors.
The SSKIA SEZ covers an area of over 800 hectares. Boulevard One, phase one of this development, is 100 hectares in size and offers investors a range of sites and factory locations.
Existing Business
Debswana Diamond Company Head Office
Debswana is one of the world’s leading diamond producers by value and volume.
Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB)
Diamond Trading Company Botswana is a world leading diamond sorting and valuing company.
Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS)
Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) is the official body responsible for standardization and quality assurance in the country. BOBS is also a full member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the national contact point for all regional programmes and Standardization and Quality Assurance.
Bank of Botswana
A wing of the central bank is also resident in the SSKIA SEZ.
The Botswana Innovation Hub
Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) is developing the capital centre of technology based innovation and entrepreneurship at the country’s first state-of-the-art Science and Technology Park. BIH is building opportunities in tenancy, membership and a globally-connected innovation ecosystem. Botswana Innovation Hub promotes technology entrepreneurship, research and development as well as technology transfer in order to create knowledge based jobs and attract innovation-led business and investments into Botswana.
The Botswana Innovation Hub has a bouquet of incentives for companies and institutions that are interested in setting up within the Science and Technology Park. Investors will have flexibility in importing labour, a competitive telecommunications package and eligibility to the Innovation Fund.
The Diamond Hub (Diamond Technology Park)
The Diamond Technology Park was developed in compliance with the standards of the international diamond industry and all other associated key stakeholders in pursuit of Botswana’s vision for the establishment of a downstream diamond industry.
The Diamond Technology Park offers a highly secure environment for the cluster of blue chip tenants and government departments.
Tenants include some of the world’s leading diamond companies with superior levels of expertise and experience. These include companies that service the diamond manufacturing industry such as international courier companies, DTC Sightholders, The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Mining houses, Jewellery Manufacturers, Brokers, Consultants, The Government Diamond Offices and The Botswana Police.

Property Solutions in the SSKIA SEZ
Office Space
A highly secure centre of excellence with a total lettable area of 7,876 sqm of office space in three offerings through The Atrium Building, The Bourse Building and GIA Centre Building.
The Atrium

Lettable Space: 2,094 sqm
Type of Tenants: Support service providers to the diamond industry such as courier companies, brokers and the Botswana Diamond Office.
All Botswana’s diamond imports and exports are documented, facilitated and authorized from the Atrium.
The Bourse Building

Lettable space: 1,442 sqm
Types of Tenants: Diamond Marketing and Consulting Companies.
GIA Centre

Lettable space: 4,340 sqm
Tenants: Gemological Institute of America, Diamond Training Academies, Diamond Brokers, Consultants and Mining Houses
Factory Shells
Also available for lease in this area are factory shells owned by Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).

Latest Developments
A Master plan for the SSKIA SEZ has been completed.
A tender for the design and build of the Boulevard One Road has been awarded and construction work has started.
The project will entail construction of a 1.8 kilometre six lane dual carriageway (with three lanes going either way) which will provide a gateway into Phase 1 of the SSKIA-SEZ where it meets with Airport Road. The project will also include an international standard iconic entrance, a design scheme for provision of underground services like water, Fibre, power, smart city ducting and CCTV.

SSKIA SEZ -MASTER PLAN

The Master Plan for Sir Seretse Khama International Airport Special Economic Zone (SSKIA SEZ) has been completed. The following are some highlights;
The zone is designed to be a “Live, Work and Play” environment.
The area has been divided into interconnected precincts as follows;
• SSKIA Business Support Centre
An expansion of the Airport Business Node to accommodate expanded airport business, hotels, conferencing, airline corporate offices, car hire, parking and staff housing.

• SEZ Support Precinct

A technical and administrative business support node focused around a high quality public space and accessible to all other precincts to provide for centralised temporary and permanent office space, conferencing and meeting spaces, ICT technical services, Call Centres, Business Support Centres for training and Government services.

• “Edge City”

A mixed use high intensity precinct that includes retail, offices, some social facilities and high density residential uses that provides some support to economic precincts in the SEZ, and provides an appropriate interface with the residential expansion of the city.

• Industry (East)

A manufacturing or industry “heart” between the various other clusters to cater for a clean industry zone with development controls enabling an efficient and high quality industrial zone.

• Logistics

Expansion and support of the existing Cargo Terminal through the provision of space for a Logistics Services Corridor related to air and other modes of transportation.

• Techno Park (East)
A multi-purpose expansion area allied to the existing Innovation Hub and Diamond Precincts, focused on high-tech research, related manufacturing and ICT development agencies.

• SEZ Urban Village
A mixed use medium to high density residential village (+- 100 units per hectare) with some supporting local level social facilities and local level commercial activity located along the proposed Ring Road to interface and integrate with surrounding residential and mixed use development but also to provide well located housing for staff employed in the SEZ.

• Agri-industry
Agriculture and agri-processing including horticulture, aqua-culture and floriculture are ideally suited to this sub-precinct where they can benefit from planned water recycling initiative.

• SSKIA Airport (as per CAAB Masterplan)
An international Airport comprising Airside (runways, taxiways and aprons) and Airport Facilities (passenger terminal buildings, cargo terminals, all the other buildings and structures which are necessary at a large airport)

• Airport Support (as per CAAB Masterplan)
An area reserved for the expansion of the Airport Facilities for SSKIA east of the proposed new Terminal buildings.

LOBATSE SEZ – THE MEAT AND LEATHER CITY

Quite fittingly, the Lobatse Special Economic Zone is the Meat and Leather City. Lobatse, the country’s oldest town is home to Botswana Meat Commission Headquarters and its largest abattoir. Beef is Botswana’s third largest foreign currency earner. It is mainly exported to the European Union market.

Lobatse SEZ specializes in;

• Meat processing
• Leather processing
• Retail of finished meat and leather goods
• Dairy processing
• Bio- technology
• Logistics and distribution.

The town is strategically located near two border posts to South Africa, the Pioneer and Ramatlabama Border Gates, making it easier to access that country’s markets and ports, like Cape Town, for shipment.

This SEZ is located at the intersection of the Trans Kalahari Highway, connecting Botswana to Namibia in the west, and the A1 major road to Zimbabwe and Zambia to the North, alongside the railway line.

Located only 75 km south of the capital, Gaborone, Lobatse is a modern town with modern facilities. Its proximity to Gaborone makes all amenities and facilities in the capital, like the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, just an hour’s drive away.

The town has a rich history. It was the seat of the Legislative Council in the early 1960’s, a forum that prepared for the country’s eventual self-governance in 1965.  The national radio station, Radio Botswana, set up here, before moving to Gaborone. The country’s Judiciary was headquartered here for many decades before relocating to Gaborone in the recent past. However, a division of the High Court still remains a pre-eminent feature of the town.

Latest Developments

Master Plan

The area is still undergoing master planning.

FAIRGROUNDS SEZ  – A LEADING FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTRE

The Fairgrounds Special Economic Zone is a leading financial services centre. It is located in the city of Gaborone, the country’s capital, a few minutes’ drive to the Sir Seretse International Airport, which eases international air travel. Investors have access to the best amenities the country has on offer such as schools, health facilities, recreational facilities and entertainment centres. It covers an area of about 120 hectares.

Fairgrounds SEZ is the perfect destination for investors in the following categories;

• Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO)
• Investment Fund Management
• International Banking Products and Services
• International Insurance
• Other Fintech Services
• International Marketing Operations
• African Headquarters for FDI

Existing Businesses within the Fairgrounds SEZ

Some key occupants of the zone include;

• Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE)

Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) is the country’s sole stock exchange with the responsibility to operate and regulate the securities market.

• Botswana Development Corporation (BDC)

Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) ’s primary mandate is to drive the industrialisation of the country by providing financial assistance to investors with commercially viable projects. BDC provides both debt and equity financing to commercially viable projects that perform one or more of the following functions:

• Pioneer new industries
• Unlock value in existing industries
• Stimulate private sector growth and foster linkages with the local and foreign investors
• Botswana Accountancy College (BAC)

Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) is the country’s business school offering international business and finance courses.

 The Fairgrounds Holdings

The company is a key player in offering versatile venues for meetings, events, conferences, fairs and exhibitions space for up to 10 000 indoor seater.

Latest Developments

Master Plan

Currently, a Master Plan is being developed for the zone and is expected to be completed in August 2020.