'Botswana must use its beautiful women to market itself'

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Thursday March 10, 2011 00:00

 

Sekgwa was speaking after the first Miss Universe Botswana 2011 auditions held in Gaborone over the weekend.

He told Showbiz that Botswana has tried other methods of marketing itself to the international community that have failed, but Batswana women have always been successful in putting Botswana on the map.  'Right now we boast of Mpule Kwelagobe who raised Botswana's flag by becoming the first Motswana woman to win a prestigious pageant like the Miss Universe,' he said.  Sekgwa said the country has produced more women of that calibre through the likes of Kaone Kario and Amantle Montsho.

He said for this reason, sponsors should not shy away from sponsoring the local pageants as their organisations are guaranteed mileage.  'The Miss Universe pageant is viewed by about one billion people worldwide and by sponsoring the local event investors would be attracting international recognition for their organisations,' he said.

He suggested that Botswana's tourism sector and the Brand Botswana organisation should take advantage of the pageant.  Last year the local pageant went ahead without a sponsor, but Choppies agreed to come on board this year after 2010 Miss Universe Botswana queen, Tirelo Ramasedi's participation in President Ian Khama's poverty eradication housing initiative.

Sekgwa said they would like more sponsors to come forward because the event is costly. The selected finalists are to be taken on a boot camp and trained before the local grand finale. 'We would like to continue building up the momentum we created last year to come up with a better event,' he said.

This year, the pageant runs by the theme, Miss Universe 2011 Searches for the Epitome of Botswana's Beauty and Ambition.  Nine auditions have been organised countrywide.

This past weekend about 30 participants showed up for the Gaborone and Lobatse auditions that took place on Saturday and Sunday respectively.   This Saturday, the MUB crew will be in Ghanzi at Kalahari Arms Hotel before moving to Jwaneng's Cezar Hotel the next day.  Other locations that would be covered during the month are Selebi-Phikwe, Palapye, Francistown, and finally Gaborone on April 02.

'A total of 32 participants would be selected for the semi finals and only 12 are going to make it for the finals in July,' said Sekgwa.  The winner of this year's MUB pageant will represent Botswana at the Sao Paulo finals in Brazil on September 12.