Bank Gaborone champions SME resilience in tough business climate
Larona Makhaiza | Monday February 9, 2026 06:08
This emerged during Bank Gaborone’s third Kgwebo Connect Series, held under the theme 'Empowering the Everyday Entrepreneur: Policy Insights and Practical Funding Solutions'.
The conversation brought together business leaders and policy advocates to unpack the current SME landscape and explore sustainable growth strategies.
Providing the policy perspective, Mpaphi Tsholofelo, Head of Policy & Research at Business Botswana, described the current business climate as “subdued,” noting that SMEs are operating within an economy undergoing structural reforms and diversification.
“They are in a critical transitional phase. Financing, logistics and macroeconomic pressures are all affecting sustainability,” he said, adding that Business Botswana is prioritising advocacy around improved access to risk-based capital for SMEs.
From a banking standpoint, Shangano Tsayang, Manager, Credit Origination at Bank Gaborone, explained that the bank applies a structured credit assessment model known as CAMPARI to ensure responsible lending while supporting business growth.
He said the model evaluates a borrower’s character, business ability, profit margins, and purpose of funds, loan amount, repayment capacity and collateral security.
“It is very important for entrepreneurs to honour their repayment agreements. How SMEs perform has a direct impact on Botswana’s national credit profile and investor confidence,” Tsayang said.
He added that Bank Gaborone also encourages entrepreneurs to contribute towards their projects to demonstrate commitment and share risk.
Tsholofelo welcomed closer collaboration between financial institutions and business associations, saying banks such as Bank Gaborone are key partners in strengthening the SME ecosystem.
“We need to bridge the gap between risk and opportunity. Banks are businesses too, but together we can build financing models that support innovation and growth,” he said.
One of the regular faces in the Kgwebo Connect Series, Bobo Samuel, a business banker at Bank Gaborone, said SMEs remain the backbone of the economy but require strong financial partners to weather current market conditions.
“SMEs are the drivers of our economy, yet they are operating in a challenging environment. Our role as a bank is not only to fund businesses, but to walk with them so they remain resilient and consistent,” Samuel said.
The Kgwebo Connect Series forms part of Bank Gaborone’s broader strategy to engage, educate and empower entrepreneurs, positioning the bank as a catalyst for resilient, competitive SMEs in Botswana’s evolving economy.