24 Aug 2016

The BOT50 euphoria is beginning to sell and those with a nose for money are cashing on the phenomenon.

BOT50 is cash phrase for Botswana 50 years of indepenedence celebration sceduled for end of September.

One is inaudated with collections, and replica depicting BOT50 through streets and selling outlets. 

In Ghanzi, Ms Dommy Motlhaping is not left behind. She is doing beadworks all designed in Botswana colours. 

She said ever since she started designing the beadworks in national colours, the cash flow was not that bad as it has been the case when she was doing ordinary beads.

Ms Motlhaping leant the craft when she was an employee with Ghanzi Craft where she worked for 15 years from 1999. 

She started a street vending business operating in front of wildlife offices in Ghanzi.

She buys her raw materials from licenced dealers and from some settlements especially New Xade, preparing all her works at her home before going to her operating open space where she sells them.

“I need a place to operate from and sell my products rather than an open space,” she said.

Ms Motlhaping, a licenced dealer, decries lack of market for her items and sometimes shortage of raw materials from licensed dealers.

She said she tried to source funds from government, but to no avail. Her customers are traditional dance groups and individuals who buy for decorations, noting that groups buy in bulks which make her business strive.

As for Segomotso Thupa, who had a stall during the recent Ghanzi show, she started doing BOT50 wares in February 24, 2016.

“Last year there was no business as we were selling other branded merchandise and we started venturing on the BOT50 concept, as we saw the President addressing the nation that on Fridays, employees should wear Botswana colours. We introduced BOT50 logo on the national colours -branded merchandise. We concentrated more on BOT50 products as to other branded products we were selling on our stalls,” she said.

From January, she said more than 4000 t-shirts were sold, noting that they also supply some companies in Gaborone on request. Ends