20 Oct 2016

The embassy of Sweden together with the Botswana Sweden Friendship Association (BOTSFA) recently hosted a reception at Sanitas Tea Garden for the book launch of BOTSFA’s 50 Years of Partnership: Botswana-Sweden 1966-2016 and a display of photos by Botswana finalists.
The Skills By Botswana photo competition was a photography competition for Batswana as an opportunity to celebrate the historic bilateral relations and the modern partnership between Sweden and Botswana which was won by Kabelo Bobby Mosimanewakgosi.
Speaking in an interview, Camilla Jacobson, a representative with the Swedish Embassy in Pretoria said the winner would be awarded a trip to Sweden, with the chance to capture Swedish skills through Batswana eyes.
“To commemorate the Botswana-Swedish collaboration since Botswana’s independence, the embassy of Sweden in Pretoria asked the citizens of Botswana to capture and interpret Skills By Botswana through the lens of their cameras,” she continued, adding that they received 348 photographs.
She said they received photographs from both professional and amateur photographers illustrating skills from various perspectives and there could only be one winner.
Camilla noted that ever since Botswana’s independence, Botswana and Sweden had been joined in a belief that skills development is the key for societal development and for decades collaborations promoting skills development took place through extensive development cooperation.
“This longstanding cooperation has contributed to Botswana’s excellence in lifting society and bringing about business successes for the country.
Since a few years back, the bilateral collaborations have graduated to the next level,” she said.
She said  that this was a partnership between equals, building on mutual interests and shared responsibilities for continued sustainable growth in environmental, social and economic, where the foundation remains trustworthy, excellent and developing.
“When Swedish companies contribute to work opportunities and growth in Botswana, they do so with a focus on knowledge transfer and societal development.
The same holds true when Botswana organizes seminars in Sweden on renewable energy, clean tech and ICT,” noted Camilla.
Speaking on what the selection jury said about the winning photograph, Camilla said Kabelo’s photograph skilfully manages to combine excellent photography with a thought-provoking and symbolically strong illustration of Skills By Botswana.
“It appears to be taken in a rural setting, indicating that skills start from a grass-root level and that excellence could  be achieved by everyone.
It does not require fancy equipment or privilege to become a winning team and people who strive to become their very best selves, it just takes dedication and hard work,” she said.
“In terms of photographic skills, the jury has found that Mosimanewakgosi skilfully uses light, depth and silhouettes in his photograph, in a way that evokes feelings both of calm and peace and of a distinctly Botswana ambiance,” she continued. ENDS