Joint UNECA-UNCTAD Workshop on “Capacity Building to Support the Development of SMEs:  A Joint UNECA-  UNCTAD Workshop on  "Capacity Building to  Support the  Development of SMEs  and to examine the role of SME Networks and  Business Linkages in  Africa" was held in  Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)  recently from November 17-18, 2011.  Participants came from  a wide cross section of economic sectors and included representatives from UNCTAD, Botswana-SME Portal, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Posts and  Tourism in Burundi, Overseas Development Institute, Enterprise Uganda,  Mozambique and Zambia Development Agency, Kenya and Italy. Over the two days of the workshop selected participants made presentations on the government policies to encourage business linkages in selected  countries, existing business linkages programmes run by large companies,  and current private/public sector initiatives to promote SMEs and support  business linkages.  See link  http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/Press_Releases/2011_pressreleases/pre ssrelease14311.html Welcome to BOTSWANA-SME PORTAL  A site that seeks to provide you with updated,  accurate and comprehensive information about the socio-economic development and investment  opportunities in Botswana and the SADC Region.  Botswana is a land-locked country dominated in  geographical terms by the Kalahari Desert - a  sand-filled basin averaging 1,100 metres above  sea level. The country lies between longitudes 20 and 30 degrees east of  Greenwich and between the latitudes 18 and 27 degrees approximately south of the Equator. Because of its geographical location, Botswana has four  seasons, and thus the potential to grow crops from the temperate and tropical regions. Botswana is bordered by Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast,  Namibia to the north and west, and South Africa to the south and southeast. At Kazungula, four countries-Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia - meet at a single point mid-stream in the Zambezi River. Infopod The Botswana-SME Portal and other  SME’s networks around the African  Continent have been encouraged to take  a more pro-active role in the building of  cross-continental forward and backward  SME linkages. Small businesses  operating in countries with  small  markets, and those who are faced other  challenges will need to seek leverage in  becoming a part of business networks  that will provide them with access to  market intelligence, strategic alliances,  funding opportunities and the general  dissemination of information.   In 2012 we at Botswana-SME Portal  would be initiating a series of seminars  aimed at promoting SME networks  across SADC and also between English  and French speaking African countries. In  order for this to be successful we will  need the support of government  agencies and big businesses.   Countries with best practices include  South Africa, Uganda, Kenya. Countries  that will need serious assistance will be  Botswana, Mozambique, Rwanda . From  the desk of Paul Thompson   Paul Thompson (C) Copyright 2011-2012 Botswana-SME Portal, All Rights Reserved. Click Play to See Our Business Links