SADCAS CEO Attends Botswana Geoscience Institute Accreditation Award Ceremony

Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI) is under the Ministry of Minerals and Energy. BGI was formed in 2014, with a mandate to undertake research in the field of geosciences and provide specialised geoscientific services, be a custodian of geoscience information, promote the search for and exploration of any mineral in Botswana and to act as an advisory body in respect to of geosciences and geohazards. BGI is located at Khama Avenue 1, Plot 11566, Lobatse, Botswana and received its accreditation from SADCAS on 21 June 2023 as a testing laboratory.

Through this accreditation Botswana Geoscience Institute has been granted a unique accreditation number TEST-5 0081 indicating that BGI is now an internationally recognised testing body accredited to international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The certificate of accreditation was issued on 21 June 2023 and is valid for 5 years until 20 June 2028.

SADCAS attended the Certificate Hand-Over Ceremony that was held on 3 November 2023 at BGI Office, Lobatse, Botswana. The Ceremony was officiated by the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Honourable Lefoko M. Moagi. The grand event was attended by Senior Government officials, BGI CEO-Olefile Cisco Mashabila, BGI Board members, BGI staff, media and Lobatse community members.

In his keynote address, Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Honourable Lefoko M. Moagi said the accreditation was a testament to BGI’s team commitment to achieving excellence. He further noted that BGI demonstrated its value proposition to the mineral sector and aligned with government Vision 2036.

On presenting the certificate to the Minister, SADCAS CEO, Ms Eve Christine Gadzikwa, congratulated BGI on its milestone on achieving its accreditation after a journey of over three years. She highlighted that the event’s theme aligned with World Accreditation Day 2023, "Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade”, The theme highlighted how accreditation activities and accredited conformity assessment support the ongoing global supply chain restrictions that continue to be a source of challenge to trade as organisations seek new markets and investment opportunities globally.