botswana institute of bankers ’ 2017 graduation and awards ceremony keynote address by moses d pelaelo governor, bank of botswana november 22, 2017 i am most delighted and wish to thank the chairman of council of the botswana institute of bankers and, through you mr jaco viljoen, the managing director of capital bank, and your fellow council members, for the invitation to be the keynote speaker at this 2017 graduation and awards ceremony. at the onset, i congratulate the 2017 graduants and award winners for this important milestone and achievement. i can imagine that there were many challenges on the way, including juggling one ’ s studies with other social obligations, such as family and job obligations. as one motivational speaker said, “ it is not your aptitude, but your attitude that determines your altitude ”. congratulations to you all, class of 2017! distinguished ladies and gentlemen, banking is an evolving industry, which provides opportunities for personal and professional growth, while its services and products have important and increasing linkages with other areas of economic activity. most significantly, in the context of today ’ s ceremony, professional bankers are a key input to economic development and wealth creation in terms of providing resources and informed advice and guidance with respect to investment channels and options. membership of this esteemed profession by knowledgeable, skilled and passionate individuals also enables them to contribute to its growth. in this regard, therefore, let me commend many batswana, including these graduants, who continue to invest their time and resources on selfdevelopment, and, ultimately, rise to positions of higher responsibility, in both the banking and the broader financial sector in botswana. to a great extent, this ascendency to senior management positions is a vote of confidence on the domestic banking sector and its ability to produce quality leaders. to you class of 2017, i have no doubt that you too aspire to assume key roles in the financial sector in order to better serve your institutions at higher levels and, ultimately, serve the country. the journey has just begun. however, this is a journey to be continued, both in terms of continuing engagement in selfdevelopment and, of course, career progression. along this path, we should always remember that banking and, more broadly, finance is a business of trust. the bankers, in particular, have a fiduciary responsibility and duty to protect the integrity and reputation of the banking system, to underwrite continuing public trust and confidence in

linah k mohohlo : promoting competitive, cost - effective banking in botswana keynote speech by ms linah k mohohlo, governor of the bank of botswana, at the official launch of capital bank lilmited gicc, gaborone, 28 may 2008. * * * i am most grateful to the board and management of capital bank for inviting me to be the guest speaker on the occasion of the launching of their bank in botswana. let me begin by recognising the presence of the governor of the reserve bank of malawi, mr victor mbewe, who has timed his visit to botswana to coincide with the official opening of capital bank. his welcome presence this evening is testimony to the regulatory and supervisory collaboration between the two sister central banks ; the reserve bank of malawi and the bank of botswana. capital bank limited ( capital bank ) is a subsidiary of first merchant bank of malawi, and was granted a commercial banking licence by the bank of botswana in december last year. at the time of licensing first merchant bank ( fmb ), which is headquartered and operating mainly in malawi owned 51 percent of the shares of capital bank. the remaining 49 percent of the shares are held by citizens of botswana, kenya and the united kingdom. one of the attractions of the bank ’ s application for a banking licence was the parent bank ’ s proven track record and strength in financing small and medium scale enterprises ( smes ). as you know smes play a major role in contributing to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. therefore, access to credit is crucial for their survival. based on the performance of the parent bank in malawi, it is my hope that capital bank will leverage on its experience and infrastructure in servicing this niche market in botswana, and in so doing, contribute to sustainable economic growth and job creation. i am further encouraged to learn that capital bank has expressed commitment to offer good quality service, accompanied by positive real interest rates on savings and competitively priced banking products. this suggests that the bank is fully aware that it will grow its business and prosper only when customers receive the standard and quality of service to which they are entitled. master of ceremonies : capital bank establishes its presence in botswana at a time when competition in the banking sector is intensifying. you will recall that in 2006, the market witnessed the entrance of a regional bank ; and hot on the heels of that bank, capital bank has come to being ; this brings the number of commercial banks operating in our country to