The Government of Botswana is confident that Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) vaccines will be manufactured in Botswana in the near future.
This was said by the Press Secretary to the President, Batlhalefi David Leagajang recently when announcing Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong’s intentions of doing business in Botswana.
“Botswana and NantWorks signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, 14 December 2021 that will, among others, initiate the transfer of biological manufacturing technology for COVID-19 and cancer vaccines and next generation cell-based immunotherapies; improve health management systems and sustainable water generation at Lobu farm; and assist in the development of the Maun Science Park.
The MOU was signed by His Excellency Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of Botswana and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder of Nantworks. Nantwork is a Calirornia-Based American multinational conglomerate holding company, that owns a number of companies in the fields of healthcare, biotech, artificial intelligence start-ups as well as a venture capital firm in the healthcare, education, science, and technology sectors.” Leagajang asserted.
According to Leagajang, The company expressed interest to set up in Botswana during President Masisi’s visit to California in September 2021. Legajang says, It is then that Dr Soon-Shiong and NantWorks have identified Botswana as an investor friendly country in which they would wish to engage and operate from, as a gateway to reaching the regional and continental markets.
The Press Secretary to the President further claims that the company also recognize the government’s sustained efforts to building strong relationships between the public sector, industry, civil society, and the research community in order to shift government transformation, and creating a conducive environment to ease doing business in Botswana
Founded in 2007, NantWorks LLC, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company. It owns a number of technology companies in the fields of healthcare, commerce, digital entertainment as well as a venture capital firm in the healthcare, education, science, and technology sectors. Particular technologies include machine vision, object and voice recognition, low power semiconductors, supercomputing, and networking technologies.
The founder of the company, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, was born in the neighbouring South Africa.
