Batho Fashion Week attracts fashionistas
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday September 17, 2025 06:01
The fashion show exhibited fresh and exquisite clothing items from different fashion designers. Batho Fashion Week (BFW) was founded in 2021 in Gaborone, Botswana, by Emmanuel Kayenda under the Dave & Gray Group. It was created to position Botswana as a serious player for the African and global fashion calendar.
According to Kayenda, after more than a decade working in fashion production in Cape Town, he returned home in 2022, determined to create opportunities for local designers, models, and creative entrepreneurs. He added that BFW is now in its fourth edition, steadily growing into a regional platform for sustainable African fashion.
'The 2025 showcase, themed “Bloom Africa – Where African Fashion Blossoms,” was staged at the National Museum and Art Gallery. Hosting it in the capital allows us to highlight Botswana’s cultural institutions while giving designers exposure to government, media, and international buyers. Gaborone will remain our anchor city, though we envision satellite events across the region in the future. We presented 15 designers, a mix of Botswana’s finest and invited international names.Notable participants included Vagour (South Africa), Nivaldo Thierry (Mozambique), SPACEO by Olep (Botswana), Gemini (Namibia), and many more local designers,' he said
Furthermore, Kayenda explained that for designers to participate in the event, they had to apply months in advance and were reviewed by a curatorial panel for craftsmanship, sustainability, and commercial potential. He stated that they balance established labels with emerging talent to give the audience a full spectrum of African design. He added that they welcomed over 400 guests across the evening, including buyers, diplomats, and fashion enthusiasts. With rising sponsor interest and strong social-media buzz, he said they projected double attendance within two editions.
'Our front row featured government leaders, international diplomats, celebrities, and cultural icons. Their presence signals national and regional support for the creative economy. Key partners include the National BTO, Room 52, and a network of local creative entrepreneurs who believed in the vision from the start. Like many projects, funding is always a hurdle. Coordinating international travel and meeting world-class production standards in a developing market also tests our logistics team, but each year we get stronger,' he said.
Speaking about their achievements, Kayenda said they sent Botswana designers to Windhoek Fashion Week and gained features in Vogue Italia; secured partnerships with major corporate sponsors; created more than 80 temporary jobs for models, stylists, photographers, and production crew each season and also positioned Botswana as a sustainable fashion hub in Southern Africa.
'Batho Fashion Week is more than a show—it. is an economic and cultural movement. We are on track to establish a sustainable fabric manufacturing plant and to take our designers to Paris and London Fashion Weeks, ensuring Botswana’s creative industry competes globally,' he ended.