Botswana is branded by its people
PONALO TUMELO | Tuesday February 3, 2026 13:06
Millions of people across the world watched Botswana in real time. They saw our roads, our people, our towns, our villages, our wildlife, our laughter, our confusion, our warmth and our confidence. This did not happen because of a carefully planned advertising campaign or a sizeable tourism budget. It happened because a global digital creator, IShowSpeed, visited Botswana and experienced the country through its people.
From a nation-brand perspective, this moment was exceptional.
Nation branding is often mistaken for marketing. In reality, it is about reputation. It is the collective perception that forms when people observe a country’s behaviour, values and character over time. Campaigns can support a narrative, but they cannot create credibility on their own. Credibility is built through experience, and experience is delivered primarily by citizens.
What unfolded during the Botswana leg of the IShowSpeed tour was a masterclass in authentic nation branding, led not by institutions, but by Batswana themselves.
Before analysing outcomes or drawing lessons, it is worth pausing to recognise what truly happened. The world saw Botswana as it is. Not a polished brochure version designed to impress. Not a filtered, carefully controlled image. But the real country, in motion.
They saw Gaborone in its formality and informality. They saw traditional dancers and spontaneous moments. They saw children curious and unguarded. They heard jokes, witnessed awkward moments, and felt genuine joy. None of it was scripted. None of it was manufactured.
That is us!
Botswana is not a single story. We are layered and complex. Blue, black and white. Loud and quiet. Traditional and modern. Spiritual and playful. Organised and, at times, beautifully chaotic. During those few days, all of it was visible, and importantly, it was allowed to coexist without apology.
This is where the true power of a nation’s brand lies.
A country’s brand does not live in its slogans or logos. It lives in how its people interact with the world and with one another. It lives in how citizens welcome visitors, explain themselves, respond to curiosity and manage difference. No external agency, however skilled, can bring a country to life the way its people can.
What Batswana did during this visit was pure gold for Botswana’s brand.
There was no single spokesperson, no official script, and no attempt to overmanage perception. Yet collectively, Batswana communicated hospitality, confidence, culture, humour and ease. They guided, laughed, corrected, accommodated and included. They did not perform Botswana for approval. They lived Botswana openly.
That authenticity is increasingly rare, and it is highly valued.
In a global environment saturated with content that is curated, polished and often exaggerated, audiences are drawn to what feels real. Botswana did not try to compete for attention through spectacle. It allowed itself to be seen honestly. That quiet confidence resonated far beyond our borders.
The impact was particularly evident among young people.
We learnt just how many young children follow IShowSpeed closely. Through him, like millions of children around the world, they are immersed in global digital culture, and online communities. Seeing a creator they admire walking through Botswana was not just entertaining, it was affirming. It placed Botswana within a global cultural conversation that young people already recognise and value.
That moment was about pride.
It was about children seeing their home reflected positively on a global stage, not as an afterthought, but as a place of interest, warmth and relevance. Many of them will remember this as a time when Botswana felt big.
This internal impact should not be underestimated.
Nation branding is not only outward-facing. It also shapes how citizens perceive themselves. When people see their country represented authentically and confidently, it strengthens national pride and belonging. That internal confidence becomes external credibility.
Botswana has been experiencing growing visibility on international stages for some time now.
Our athletes, wearing blue, black and white, standing with medals around their necks as the flag flies high, have contributed significantly to Botswana’s global image. When athletes like Letsile Tebogo perform and win, they project attributes such as discipline, resilience and excellence. Those moments are powerful symbols of national capability and ambition.
They matter.
However, what the IShowSpeed visit demonstrated is that nation branding does not only happen when citizens perform exceptionally abroad. It also happens when citizens are at home, being themselves, opening their spaces and sharing their lives.
The connection between country and people that was created during this visit is something no marketing campaign can replicate.
It was organic.
It was credible.
It was human.
Even moments that could have been critiqued added to this credibility.
The safari experience is a case in point. Expectations were high. Lions were anticipated. They did not appear. But that, too, was honest. Nature in Botswana is not staged. It does not guarantee spectacle. Sometimes it offers unforgettable encounters. Sometimes it offers dust, patience and stories. Both are authentic experiences.
By allowing that reality to be seen, Botswana reinforced trust. In branding terms, trust is far more valuable than perfection. It sets realistic expectations and strengthens long-term reputation.
Another significant outcome of this moment was unity.
For a brief period, Batswana across backgrounds and generations were engaged in a shared national experience. We watched the same clips, laughed at the same moments, debated the same scenes and recognised ourselves in what the world was seeing. The conversation felt collective.
That matters.
A strong nation brand begins at home. When citizens recognise themselves positively in how their country is portrayed, they are more likely to carry that story forward with confidence. They become ambassadors without being asked to do so.
This has direct implications for areas such as tourism and investment promotion.
People do not invest in places they do not trust. They do not visit destinations that feel distant or artificial. What global audiences saw during this visit was a Botswana that felt accessible, welcoming and stable. They saw a society comfortable with itself, grounded in values, and open to engagement.
For investors, this signals more than scenery. It suggests social cohesion, confidence and a predictable environment. For tourists, it signals warmth, authenticity and experiences that go beyond staged attractions.
This is why moments like these are so valuable.
They do not replace structured promotion efforts, but they amplify them. They give substance to policy messages. They humanise economic narratives. They provide real-world context that formal campaigns often struggle to convey.
There is a clear lesson here.
Nation branding cannot be outsourced entirely to institutions or campaigns. It must be lived. Governments, private sector and agencies can set frameworks, articulate vision and invest in platforms, but citizens are the brand in practice. People are not risks to be managed. They are assets to be empowered.
Botswana’s strength has always been its people.
Quietly confident.
Resilient.
Warm.
Grounded.
When those qualities are allowed to surface naturally, they resonate in ways money cannot buy.
The Botswana leg of the IShowSpeed tour did not redefine Botswana. It revealed it.
It reminded us that the most effective way to market a country is not through perfection, but through truth. Not through control, but through trust. Not through spectacle, but through substance.
For a few days, Botswana was seen clearly.
Seen through its people.
Seen in its diversity.
Seen in its humour, patience and pride.
Not perfect.
Not scripted.
Just real.
And that is something Batswana should be deeply proud of.
Botswana. Blue, black and white. All of it.
Join us, Team Brand Botswana, and let’s commit to everyday showcase ourselves and the best of our country to the World!!
*Tumelo is the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre’s Director Public Relations and Corporate Affairs