Reports AFRICA - BOTSWANA
Te direct contribution of travel and tourism
to the GDP was US$688.7m (3.3 percent) in 2014 whilst total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP was US$1,772m (8.5 percent). Te sector employs 32,000 people directly and the country ranks 121 in terms of size for tourism in the word. European tourists are the fastest growing
group of incoming tourists but the country is still held back by its failure to invest in infrastructure projects such as the limited transport network. Ian Saunders who previously worked at
several of the Botswana casinos said: “I left Botswana in 2006 and I felt that the market was saturated with casinos then, both large and small, one can only sap so much out of a small population. Botswana is a tourist mecca with all the amazing sights and wildlife but tourists don’t gamble, they came to enjoy the outdoors not sit in a stuffy casino and the local populous only had so much disposable income and the majority of that was scoffed up by the eruption of cell phones which generated more revenue than the casinos.” Casino gambling is legal in Botswana and was
regulated by the Casino Act between 1971 and 2012. Today it comes under the new Gambling Act and licences are required to operate. Tere are eight casinos in Botswana offering
slots and table games. None offer online gambling. In 2012 the gambling industry saw
P84 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
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P208m which was a decline of four percent compared to 2010/11 period. Grand Palm took the leading position in terms
of gaming revenue whilst total levy paid to the government amounted to P20m. Entrance fee revenue collected dropped from more than P6m to P4m showing a drop in visitors. Meanwhile back in 2014 Sun International
announced it would dispose of several locations in Africa including its shareholding and interests in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia operations which consisted of eight properties in total. Te Minor International Group (Mint) which
owns 138 hotels and resorts and 1,851 restaurants in over 32 countries purchased these interests for R679.5m and formed a new strategic partnership to own and operate the African Assets whereas Sun continued to operate the casinos whilst Minor assumed control of the hotel management under the AVANI and Anantara brands. So in Zambia – Sun International’s Zambezi
Sun in Zambia became the Avani Victoria Falls Resort whilst the Royal Livingstone Resort in Zambia was not re-branded. In Botswana the Gaborone Sun became the Avani Gaborone Resort and Casino. In Lesotho the Lesotho Sun became the Avani Lesotho Hotel and Casino and the Maseru Sun became the Avani Maseru Hotel and in Namibia the Kalahari Sands became the
Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino. At the time Sun disposed of 50 percent of its
interest in Zambia and 80 percent in the other countries meaning Minor had a 50 percent share in Zambia’s Royal Livingstone and Zambezi Sun, 64 percent share in Gaborone in Botswana, 80 percent share in Kalahari Sand in Namibia, 37.5 percent share in Lesotho Sun and Maseru Sun and 40.5 percent share in Royal Swazi and Ezulwini Sun in Swaziland. Ten in May 2016 Sun International retreated
from most of its remaining minority interests in various entities which own and operate casino, hotel and resort properties in Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland to the Minor Group. Te Minor Group raised its stake in:
l Sun International Botswana (Gabarone Botswana Hotel and Casino, Menateng Casino and Marang Casino) from 64 percent to 80 percent. Minor is also trying to reopen the Letsatsi Casino also previously operated by Sun.
l Sun International Lesotho (Avani Lesotho Hotel and Casino and Avani Maseru Hotel) from 37.54 percent to 46.92 percent.
l St Vincent Investments (Royal Swazi Spa Hotel and Casino and Lugogo Sun Hotel) to 50.61 percent.
l Sands Hotel Ltd in Namibia (Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino) 100 percent
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