Official Launch
Supporting Fashion
Entrepreneurs in Botswana Through Collaboration, Skills Development and Sustainable Growth.
The Création Botswana programme was officially launched at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone, marking a pivotal step toward the growth and global positioning of fashion entrepreneurship in Botswana.
This landmark initiative aims to empower local fashion and textile entrepreneurs by providing business training, mentorship, funding access, and international mobility, all with the goal of transforming the sector into a sustainable driver of economic growth, job creation, and cultural expression.
Backed by the French government and developed through a partnership between the National Arts Council of Botswana and Alliance Française de Gaborone, the programme represents a bold new chapter in French-Botswana cultural collaboration.
A Shared Vision for
Creative Industries in Africa
At the launch, leaders across government, diplomacy, and the creative sector highlighted the programme’s role in addressing the urgent need for economic diversification in Botswana. The Honourable Minister of Entrepreneurship, Karabo Gare, emphasized that Création Botswana is not just a platform for artistic talent; it is a strategic tool for economic empowerment, designed to unlock the potential of Botswana’s fashion visionaries and position the country as a player in the global creative economy.
Echoing this sentiment, French Ambassador to Botswana Olivier Brochenin described the initiative as a milestone in bilateral cooperation, born from the commitments of the Gaborone Declaration; formal agreement to accelerate development through agriculture, digitalisation, and cultural and creative industries.
Both leaders noted that fashion, as a youthful and fast-growing sector in Botswana, offers a unique opportunity to merge local heritage with global ambition, fostering innovation, storytelling, and commercialisation at scale.
More Than Fashion
A Movement for Change
Angélique Saverino, Director of the Alliance Française de Gaborone, noted that the strong turnout at the launch reflected the wide support from across sectors and the shared belief in nurturing Botswana’s creative talent. She stressed that Création Botswana is not simply a training programme, but a platform for transformation; uniting institutions, creatives, and communities in support of sustainable industry growth.
For Botswana’s designers, this means real access to networks, skills, and markets that were previously out of reach. For the country, it signals a long-term investment in cultural capital; an industry built not only on creativity, but on strategy, structure, and lasting impact.
