Botswana has been commended for showing commitment towards advancing regional trade integration between 29 countries in the southern and eastern African counties.

Botswana is among the countries like Angola, Burundi, Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe rooting for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Agreement.

Speaking during a courtesy visit, she paid on Botswana's Trade and Entrepreneurship Minister, Tiroeaone Ntsima, in Gaborone, COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, said Botswana's commitment is strengthening cooperation among COMESA, EAC and SADC member states through the Tripartite Free Trade Area.

Kapwepwe, who also served as the chairperson of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement taskforce, further noted that Botswana is fostering harmonisation of trade policies and removal of non-tariff barriers and other barriers such as huge export and import fees.

"I want to sincerely thank the Republic of Botswana for stepping up to join others, namely Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi and Namibia, in the list of member and partner states that have so far ratified the TFTA agreement for the tripartite agreement to enter into force."

TFTA creates a combined population of 600 million people covering half of the member states of the African Union and a gross domestic product (GDP) of over $1 trillion.

The enlarged market aims to promote the smooth movement of goods and services across borders, as well as allowing member countries to harmonise regional trade policies to promote equal competition.