Botswana’s athletes enter the big-money era
Mqondisi Dube | Friday September 18, 2026 10:06
The likes of Diphetogo ‘Dipsy’ Selolwane, Mogogi ‘Gino’ Gabonamong, Mogakolodi ‘Tsotso’ Ngele, Phenyo ‘Mzambia’ Mongala, and Joel ‘16V’ Mogorosi were regarded as some of the highest-earning local sportspersons when they joined the ‘great trek’ to the South African Premier Soccer League.
This was during the Zebras’ most successful period, when Botswana qualified for its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations finals. The team’s historic qualification made the signing of Botswana players a no-brainer for a number of South African clubs.
Although their monthly salaries remained a closely guarded secret, it was public knowledge that South African clubs were paying handsomely. For instance, Mogorosi pocketed P200,000 after being named the Telkom Player of the Tournament in 2012. That was, and remains, a substantial pay cheque.
At one stage, Ngele was rumoured to be earning more than P150,000 a month when he was signed by cash-rich Mamelodi Sundowns in 2014. However, nothing was ever made public. Unlike in athletics, where prize money and other financial rewards are often disclosed, footballers’ earnings have largely remained confidential, leaving the public to rely on speculative salary ranges. The career path of an aspiring Motswana sportsperson seemed to point to one obvious destination: football. Every young boy wanted to be Dipsy, Gino or Mogorosi. Playing for one of the bigger clubs in the South African leagues was virtually the clearest route for a Botswana athlete to acquire significant ‘wealth.’
Footballers were the household sporting earners, whilst athletics was largely associated with national pride, medals and international exposure rather than substantial personal wealth. Other sporting codes simply did not carry the glamour that football commanded.
Football also drew the crowds and, until recently, remained the only sporting discipline capable of filling the National Stadium or the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium. But athletics has entered the fray as a welcome disruptor. The career path of a budding sportsperson in Botswana is no longer confined to one narrow route. Athletics now offers increasingly lucrative prospects, both on and off the track. Ask Letsile Tebogo or Collen Kebinatshipi. They have joined the ranks of Botswana athletes commanding significant earnings and global commercial value, a rare feat for local sportspersons and a sign of how dramatically the landscape has changed.
Montsho was amongst the early pioneers of this transformation. Her 2011 season provides a striking illustration of athletics’ financial potential. After winning the World Championship 400m title in Daegu, South Korea, Montsho accumulated more than P1 million from World Championships and Diamond League prize money alone, excluding other race earnings and endorsements.
Nijel Amos reinforced the message, whilst Makwala became one of the most recognisable 400m runners on the global circuit around 2017. Their success helped establish Botswana as an athletics nation capable of producing athletes who could compete consistently at the highest level.
Then came Tebogo, and the game changed completely for Botswana sports.
The Olympic 200m champion has taken Botswana’s athletic brand into another dimension. His Olympic triumph in Paris, combined with his performances on the global circuit and commercial appeal, has made him one of the country’s most recognisable sporting personalities. Tebogo is estimated to earn around $2 million (approximately P26 million) a year, figures that would have been unthinkable and unheard of for a local sportsperson just a few years ago.
Kebinatshipi has now pushed that ceiling even higher. The 22-year-old became Botswana’s first men’s world champion when he won the 400m title in Tokyo in 2025, clocking a national record 43.53 seconds. Since then, his profile has continued to rise. World Athletics currently lists him as the world’s number one men’s 400m athlete, with two world titles, an Olympic silver medal, and a Diamond League Final victory amongst his major achievements. Kebinatshipi’s earnings have risen sharply alongside his success on the global athletics circuit. His 400m world title earned him a $70,000 prize (about P1 million) whilst his triumph at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest brought a P2 million cash payout. Beyond championship prize money, his earnings are supplemented by appearance fees, Diamond League prize money, national incentives, and sponsorship deals.
The track has become a marketplace of its own and Botswana’s runners are increasingly amongst its most valuable exports. The figures being thrown around are debunking the long-held myth that only books and academics pay. Sport now pays and pays handsomely, too.