Youthful Chinese investors in Botswana play a significant role in inspiring locals to run businesses, a Botswana's Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Minister Thapelo Olopeng said Monday.

Addressing the International Youth Day 2018 in Francistown, Botswana's second largest city, Olopeng said the cooperation between Botswana and China has brought the Chinese youthful entrepreneurs into the southern African nation.

As a result of the bilateral cooperation, the local youths are copying from and eventually emulating their counterparts from the world's most populous nation on how to become industrious, Olopeng said.

"From a practical sense, young Chinese entrepreneurs have significantly helped to foster (an) entrepreneurial spirit amongst the locals," said the minister, adding the mutual trust between China and Botswana has benefited the younger generations.

Amid the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Botswana and China, youths, as masters and makers of their nations' future, will play a significant part in national development, as well as in promotion of the traditional friendly and cooperative ties that exist between the two countries, he said.

Latest figures from Statistics Botswana indicated that at least 393 companies run by youthful Chinese nationals are operating in Botswana's construction, retail, agriculture, mining and quarrying sectors.