The patriarch of all bookstores in Botswana

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Thursday October 8, 2009 00:00

One of the first establishments used by the men of the cloth to cultivate the culture of reading among the Batswana is what is today known as the Botswana Book Centre (BBC) and its publishing wing, Pula Press.

Back in the day when there were few bookshops in Gaborone, the favourite hangout for bookworms was the Book Centre. That was where Gaboronians and visitors to the capital would lay their hands on their favourite books, newspapers and magazines.

If one needed to buy stationery, his or her first stop was the BBC. At the BBC, book-lovers could find an array of books ranging from engaging 'cowboy' novels to textbooks.

One of the famous stories doing rounds about the early days of the bookstore was that the first president of the country, Sir Seretse Khama used to casually walk into the bookstore to buy 'cowboy' books. Interestingly, latest editions of the book are still available at the bookstore.

Author and photographer Sandy Grant has a fond memory of the bookstore and says back in the 1960s and '70s it was 'famous'. He says that the BBC is one of the most important landmarks in the city.

Primary school pupils of the 70s and the 80s would have fond memories of the Padiso Series, which Pula Press co-published with Longman and supplied through the BBC. Those who remember the series still argue it was one of the most educational offerings this country has ever had. Those who were in school in the late 80s and 90s would remember yet another Pula Press Setswana series Moedi wa Kitso.

According to the general manager of the BBC, Tjiyapo Mokobi-Mokhosoa, its history can be traced back to the times of the Kuruman Press of the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1826. The mission's educational work, which necessitated the preparation of textbooks, led to a supply depot in Kuruman.

Mokobi-Mokhosoa further says that the depot was moved to Tigerkloof near Vryburg (also known as Huhudi) when the mission opened an educational institution there.

'With the proliferation of schools throughout the Bechuanaland Protectorate  (now Botswana) and into Matebeleland (part of the then Southern Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe), the operations of the book depot grew in size. Back then, it was a sideline responsibility of the principal of Tigerkloof and his office clerk assisted by a packer,' says Mokobi-Mokhosoa.

In 1958, the bookroom, as it was then called, was moved to the new premises in Lobatse where it operated as the Bechuanaland Book Centre under the management of John Hargyard.

In 1966 Obert Small took over from Hargyard and moved the bookstore to the newly established capital at Gaborone where it joined some banks, the General Post Office and the Government Press as one of the first 'imposing' buildings in the Main Mall.

'The move to the capital saw the growth of the retail service. The growth was more in line with servicing the needs of the growing population of the newly independent Botswana,' says Mokobi-Mokhosoa, adding that being in a position to supply general and leisure reading books, the BBC began to stock such lines.

When the demand for newspapers, magazines and stationery grew, the BBC became a leading newsagent and stationery supplier.

Grant says at the zenith of its glory, the bookstore had volumes upon volumes of books and even those who could not afford to buy books used to go to the BBC just to browse through them.

Interestingly, the bookstore, which has seen generations come and go, is still there.This means that what those missionaries started nearly 200 years ago, has survived two world wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945), numerous 'tribal' wars and several economic depressions to be what it is today.

Mokobi-Mokhosoa says the BBC is currently facing stiff competition from new entrants in the market more-especially those from neighbouring countries.

In an attempt to counter competition, the BBC's main shop in the Main Mall was given a facelift in 2005.

She also says that another challenge is that government has stopped purchasing prescribed schoolbooks from bookshops, which has greatly crippled their business. As if that were not enough, their service as newsagents has also been negatively affected by the fact that nowadays readers (of magazines and newspapers) prefer to subscribe directly from publishers.

'We are going to work around the clock to make sure that we are there for the next 50 years or more,' says Mokobi-Mokhosoa.

It remains to be seen if indeed, the 'grandfather' of all bookstores in Botswana will withstand a battery of challenges to survive another 50 years or more.

The Ecumenical Literature Distribution Trust (ELD), a publishing and bookselling enterprise jointly set up by the United Congregational Council of Southern Africa (UCCSA) and Anglican Church, owns both the BBC and Pula Press.