Botswana’s first steel manufacturing plant, Pula Steel, was officially opened this week by the country’s vice president, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Speaking at the official opening of the plant in the northern Botswana town of Selibe Phikwe, Masisi pointed out that this was the first company in the country to processes scrap metal into an intermediate product called billet.
The Botswana Daily News – a government news site – reports that the billet will be further processed into different types of steel products such as rebar and other products.
Masisi was quoted by news agency APA as saying that the first phase of the plant, opened this week, would produce billet that will be earmarked solely for export.
“I am reliably informed that in eight months the production process will add a second phase that will produce re-bar and other products, a considerable part of which will be for the local market and some for export,” he said.
According to Masisi, steel is a basic commodity which is required by any developing economy for infrastructural developments, mines and construction.
