Trade Up North

21/07/2026

48 HOURS.

My heart is full. Thank you for all the love and beautiful messages. I read every one of them.

To all our exhibitors, partners, delegates and friends joining us in Francistown - it’s going to be ELECTRIC!

10 years. One stage. Infinite opportunities.

Let’s do this.

14/07/2026

SMEs are struggling. But help is coming.

Join me today at 17:30hrs on Duma FM as I reveal:
Who is coming to Trade Up North - local + international buyers.
How to export with BITC.
BOBS certification.
Where to get SME funding.
Why Council Investment Companies 'MUST NOT MISS' Trade Up North.

Real opportunities. Real buyers. Never-seen-before deals for Botswana.

Duma FM, 17:30hrs today. Don’t miss it.

11/07/2026

PRESIDENT BOKO TO OFFICIATE TRADE UP NORTH

President Advocate Duma Boko will officially open the Trade Up North Mining Fair 2026 slated for 23rd July in Francistown. Botswana's premier B2B procurement platform connects SMEs with SADC buyers. Now in its 10th year, the project which is the brainchild of Vuyiswa Mojela, features curated "Deal Rooms" with pre-scheduled meetings between suppliers and procurement leaders from Debswana, Morupule, Khoemacau, Tataki, Botswana Railways, Botswana Ash, and government ministries (Trade, Transport, Minerals). Supported by BERA, BDIH, BOBS, CEDA, and Zimbabwe Junior Chamber of Mines, the event drives local content and regional integration. Packages: BWP 3,000–5,000. The event turns procurement into commercial contracts for African SMEs.

11/07/2026

Big News: I’m honoured to step in as Country Coordinator for All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (AAASME) - Botswana.

But this isn’t a new beginning. It’s a continuation.
For years, our SMEs have been the backbone of this country, even while facing tough challenges.

My commitment is simple: keep pushing for access, markets, finance, and visibility for Batswana businesses.

I’m looking forward to working with every entrepreneur, supplier, manufacturer and service provider in the SME space. Your struggles are seen. Your work matters.

Let’s get to work. 🇧🇼

08/07/2026

19/06/2026

Visit my website: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw

Partnerships are not a ‘nice-to-have’ for platforms like Trade Up North. They’re the engine. No single player can drive SME participation alone.

Government sets the policy and the market. When they enforce local content rules, open procurement data, and prioritize citizen suppliers, they create the demand. Without that, we have no buyers for SMEs to meet.

Private sector provides the opportunity and the standards. Mines, contractors, manufacturers — they’re the ones issuing tenders and deciding which suppliers qualify. When they commit to supplier development and fair payment terms, they turn policy into contracts. Without that, we have no real deals.

Media provides the visibility and accountability. You tell Batswana SMEs that this platform exists and that buyers will be there. You also track whether promises turn into procurement. Without that, the message doesn’t reach the entrepreneur in Maun or Molepolole, and there’s no public pressure to deliver.

So the importance is simple: Government creates the mandate, private sector creates the market, media creates the momentum. Trade Up North only grows when all three move together. That’s how we go from talking about citizen economic empowerment to actually measuring contracts signed by citizen-owned businesses.

This year, Trade Up North Conference and Exhibition 10th Anniversary will be officially opened by His Excellency the President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko.

📍 Cresta Marang Gardens Hotel, Francistown, Botswana | 23rd July 2026
Register Now at: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw

18/06/2026

Visit my website: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw

🎤 MODERATOR ANNOUNCED - Botswana at a Crossroads.

Hard conversations need the right moderator.

We’re proud to introduce Khulekani Khupe as a moderator for our headline panel:
“Botswana at a Crossroads: Diagnosing Today, Confronting the Past and Designing a Resilient Economic Future”

Who is Khulekani?
A seasoned Human Capital Management professional and certified leadership and executive coach. He builds high-performance teams for corporates, parastatals, and government. His work is simple: turn people and strategy into results.

Why him for this panel?
This isn’t a feel-good talk. We’re diagnosing Botswana’s economy. Confronting past decisions. Designing what’s next. Khulekani’s job is to keep our panelists honest, focused, and solution-driven. No slogans. Just hard truths and real plans.

If you want platitudes, skip this session. If you want the blueprint for Botswana’s economic future, be in the room

This year, Trade Up North Conference and Exhibition 10th Anniversary will be officially opened by His Excellency the President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko.

📍 Cresta Marang Gardens Hotel, Francistown, Botswana | 23rd July 2026
Register Now at: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw

17/06/2026

Visit my Website: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw

Over the next 5 to 10 years, I envision Trade Up North becoming Botswana’s permanent commercial gateway for citizen-owned SMEs — not just an annual event, but the platform where local businesses consistently access markets, capital, and technology.

In the short term, we’ll deepen the Deal Room model so every exhibitor leaves with qualified buyer meetings. We’ll expand supplier development so more SMEs move from trading to manufacturing and value addition. That’s industrialization in practice.

Longer term, the vision is regional. And I say that with added responsibility because I’ve just been appointed the Country Coordinator for Botswana under the All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, AAASME. That role aligns perfectly with where Trade Up North is headed.

Through AAASME, we can connect Botswana SMEs to markets across Africa under AfCFTA. Trade Up North will be the Botswana chapter of a continental pipeline — where a company that qualifies here can access buyers in Zambia, Namibia, Ghana etc. The goal is for ‘Made in Botswana’ to be a recognized brand in African supply chains.

So in 10 years, I want Trade Up North to be known for three things:
1. Contracts signed – measurable procurement won by Batswana SMEs.
2. Factories built – SMEs that graduate from booths to production lines.
3. Exports achieved – Botswana companies competing regionally, not just locally.

The platform starts in Francistown, but the ambition is African. With AAASME and our partners in government and private sector, we’ll make that happen.

This year, Trade Up North Conference and Exhibition 10th Anniversary will be officially opened by His Excellency the President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko.

📍 Cresta Marang Gardens Hotel, Francistown, Botswana | 23rd July 2026
Register Now at: www.tradeupnorth.co.bw