Creations Botswana season One comes to a glamorous close
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday November 17, 2025 06:00
The event, hosted by Her Excellency Valérie Baraban, marked the culmination of a year-long fashion entrepreneurship program that brought together emerging and established designers from across Botswana. In her remarks, Baraban highlighted the strong collaboration between France and Botswana, emphasising the significant role of the creative economy in fostering economic growth and development. She also hinted at exciting prospects for Season Two of Création Botswana, promising more opportunities for Botswana's fashion talent to shine.
Throughout Season One, participating designers benefited from monthly workshop weeks, masterclasses with international experts, one-on-one mentoring, grants, and international learning expeditions to South Africa and France. She explained that those experiences equipped local designers with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to succeed in the competitive fashion industry.
The programme's beneficiaries included 28 designers from diverse backgrounds, divided into two cohorts: emerging designers and established designers. Each cohort received grants of P15,000 and P50,000, respectively, to support their operations, production, and market preparation.
The celebration included designer spotlights, partner acknowledgments, and a networking reception, showcasing the best of Botswana's fashion industry. Mpho Mogatle, winner of the Lucara Botswana Jewelry Design Competition, had the honor of seeing her stunning Messika necklace and earrings worn by Baraban during the event.
Création Botswana's stakeholders have confirmed that plans for Season Two are underway, with a focus on deepening international collaboration and expanding opportunities for Botswana's fashion entrepreneurs. As the program continues to nurture and empower local talent, the future of Botswana's fashion industry looks bright.
'The creative economy plays a vital role in our country's development, and initiatives like Création Botswana are crucial in unlocking the potential of our fashion industry,' said Oreneile Padipadi, director at BITC.
'Lucara is committed to supporting the creative sector in Botswana, and we're proud to be part of Création Botswana. We look forward to seeing the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs thrive,' added Naseem Lahri, Managing Director of Lucara Botswana.
With its strong partnership and commitment to excellence, Création Botswana is poised to continue shaping the future of Botswana's fashion industry.