Just over a week after announcing plans to invest $250 million in Mozambique and create 20,000 jobs, Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji is turning his attention to Botswana, where he has held talks with President Duma Boko and Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe.

Dewji, president and owner of MeTL Group, said the meetings focused on investment opportunities and the role of the private sector in Botswana’s economy. In a LinkedIn post, he said he was impressed by the expertise of the government’s team and its approach to investment and economic growth.

“It was a pleasure meeting H.E. President Duma Boko of Botswana and H.H. Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe for a substantive exchange on investment and growth,” Dewji said.

He said MeTL sees opportunities to expand into Botswana as the group grows its operations across Africa. Dewji described the country as an upper-middle-income, investment-grade economy with potential for long-term investment and partnerships.

Dewji plans $250 million Mozambique investment

The Botswana meetings came shortly after Dewji traveled to Maputo, where he met Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and pledged $250 million in investment. The commitment is expected to support new business operations and create as many as 20,000 jobs in Mozambique.

Dewji made the pledge after meeting Chapo in Maputo on Tuesday. He described the discussions as productive and said he had identified several investment opportunities in the country. “We had a very fruitful discussion and we committed to invest $250 million in Mozambique and to try to employ 20,000 Mozambicans,” Dewji said.

The planned investment would give MeTL a larger presence in Mozambique as the group expands its manufacturing and distribution business across Africa. It also comes as Chapo’s government seeks to attract private capital, increase local production and create jobs outside the country’s oil and gas sector.

Dewji expands MeTL across Africa

The Mozambique investment is part of a wider push by Dewji to expand MeTL’s manufacturing business into new African markets.

Dewji, 51, has also outlined plans to invest $250 million in a graphite processing plant in Tanzania, his home country. The plant is expected to begin operations within the next year and initially produce about 50,000 metric tons of graphite a year at 95% purity.

MeTL is also planning to invest $50 million in a soft-drink bottling plant in Mombasa, Kenya. The facility is expected to produce Mo Cola, the group’s flagship soft-drink brand, putting it in competition with global beverage companies such as Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc.

For MeTL, the planned investments would add new manufacturing and distribution capacity across several African markets. For the governments involved, the projects could bring new factories, jobs and local production as they seek more private investment.

With talks now extending from Mozambique to Botswana, Dewji is continuing to look for opportunities to grow MeTL’s operations beyond Tanzania and deepen the group’s presence across Africa.