The Botswana Chamber of Mines is a non-profit organisation established to serve the interests of the mining and exploration companies together with associated industries. The Chamber has been mandated by the founding mines to serve the interests of the mining houses and to influence policy decisions and strategic intents within the government, non-governmental organizations, and related bodies. The Chamber of Mines aims to ensure that legislation in the country is conducive for mining companies and at the same time developing good working relationships with the legislator. In July 2020, the BCM started the implementation of the Import Substitution Projects in partnership with Debswana Diamond Company. This project aims to contribute to reducing the national import bill by growing and capacitating the country’s manufacturing sector. The project utilizes mining sector procurement spend and other readily available consumers of such products to provide the initial market for the identified local manufacturers. It also appeals to other key stakeholders and industries to cooperate and collaborate in market opportunity creation and to stimulate local manufacturing of commodities currently imported in Botswana.

Botswana Chamber of Mines’s motivation for the local manufacturing summit was part of the implementation of the Import Substitution Project focusing on the local manufacturing of imported material goods and services. In 2023, the Botswana Chamber of Mines, along with key corporate partners and sponsors hosted the inaugural Local Manufacturing Summit 2023 as a way to bring the manufacturing and supply chain community in Botswana together. The purpose of the Summit was to create awareness with regard to the opportunities and challenges arising from the various value chains within Botswana, SADC Common Market Protocols, and the emerging Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AcFTA) for the local manufacturing sector. The event served as a platform for the exchange and sharing of ideas, making action-based commitments on how to stimulate the growth of local manufacturing to diversify the economy, create employment and drive the development of export markets for locally produced material goods and professional services.