Botswana and Madagascar to strengthen economic and mining ties

Botswana and Madagascar are working to strengthen bilateral relations through enhanced economic cooperation and improved travel accessibility. Following discussions between President Duma Boko of Botswana and Colonel Michaël Randrianirina of Madagascar, technical teams have been given 30 days to define priority sectors and draft new bilateral agreements to renew a framework agreement originally signed in 2006.

Key areas for potential partnership include mining, tourism, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, health, and professional training. Both nations aim to leverage their respective strengths, particularly in the mining sector, to increase value-added processing of natural resources.

To facilitate people-to-people ties and economic activity, Botswana has decided to remove visa requirements for citizens of Madagascar. This move is intended to reduce administrative barriers for tourists, investors, students, and business travelers, thereby supporting regional integration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).