29 Jun 2026

Some North West District councillors have called for the establishment of designated market stalls around shopping malls to provide small-scale entrepreneurs with organised trading space. 

They argued that currently, areas near malls had become unattractive as street vendors and hawkers occupied open spaces, pathways and road reserves due to lack of designated spaces.

According to councillors, developing appropriate trading infrastructure would improve organisation, support small businesses and enhance the appeal of the town as a tourism destination.

 “Our malls are overwhelmed by informal traders and establishing designated stalls for them will serve as a strategy that can enhance the image of shopping complexes and also relief small entrepreneurs the burden of high rentals,” said councillor for Moeti Ward in Maun, Mr Phenyo Moshongo when debating the council chairperson’s speech.

Councillor Moshongo also said allocating market stalls according to business categories would bring order while creating an additional revenue stream for the council through stall rentals.

He said the initiative would also ease the financial burden on small business owners, noting that office rental was one of the biggest operating expenses for many entrepreneurs.

“Affordable market stalls will provide struggling businesses with accessible trading space, enabling them to reduce costs and grow their enterprises,” he said.

Bojanala Ward councillor, Mr Monompane Namanga, supported the proposal, saying high rental costs were stifling small businesses despite their role in driving economic development.

He said establishing market stalls around shopping malls would provide traders with a more conducive business environment while improving the appearance and cleanliness of the surrounding areas.

Mr Namanga further noted that the initiative would generate a reliable source of revenue for the council while promoting the growth of the local informal sector.

He also expressed concern about some illegal operation of tourism activities in the Okavango Delta.

He said the council had observed an increasing number of people who were not originally from settlements in the Delta laying claim to ploughing fields and old buildings in Concession NG32, which they later converted into tourism enterprises, often at the expense of residents.

“This is a concern because people who originate from the affected areas are being denied the opportunity to reclaim their fields to venture into tourism-related businesses. Some individuals have been operating illegal campsites for more than five years without any action being taken,” he said.

Specially Elected Councillor, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho said the tourism sector in the district was steadily growing and proposed that the North West District host a tourism exposition in Maun.

He said tourism expos served as catalysts for market expansion, strategic networking and economic development. While acknowledging that the Botswana Tourism Organisation regularly participated in the world’s leading tourism trade fair in Berlin, Germany, with a delegation of local operators, he argued that the North West District, as Botswana’s tourism hub, had the capacity to host a major international tourism exhibition.

Hosting such an event, he said, would stimulate economic growth by linking local tourism operators with international buyers, promoting the district’s tourism attractions and encouraging infrastructure development.

“We must engage the relevant ministry and stakeholders to demonstrate that we have the capacity to host a major tourism expo in Botswana. Such an event would help expand our market reach while enabling participants to identify emerging industry trends and gain valuable insights needed to remain competitive,” Mr Ntsogotlho said. ENDS