U.S. Ambassador to Botswana Earl Miller will preside over the official opening ceremony of the new Botswana office of the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub works throughout the region to improve the livelihoods of Southern Africans by increasing access to trade and broadening investment.

The USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub is the fourth generation of USAID projects focused on these goals. The previous version of the Southern Africa Trade Hub made many contributions on behalf of the U.S. Government to develop growth sectors including agribusiness, food processing, textiles and apparel, and infrastructure in Botswana and the entire SADC region.

The new Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub will continue to work closely with the Government of Botswana and in particular the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry to break down barriers to trade to increase exports, achieve regional economic integration, increase uptake in utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act by Botswana businesses, improve productivity, and facilitate robust regional trade and global market access.

The event will begin with a program on the top floor of the iTowers building at 9:00 am and be followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new offices on Floor 16, including refreshments.

The USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub reflects the American people’s commitment to support communities across Southern Africa, helping to ensure that the population of Botswana and countries throughout the region are provided with economic opportunities to build themselves better lives.