16 Jul 2026

Stakeholders have called for stronger coordination among institutions supporting Botswana’s creative industries, saying collaboration was key to unlocking the sector’s economic potential and improving support for creatives.

The call was made on Tuesday during a stakeholder engagement meeting on funding and support for the creative industries, organised by the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA). The meeting brought together representatives from government ministries, financial institutions, development partners, the private sector and creative industry organizations.

CIPA Strategy Manager Lucky Matseka said the meeting aimed to understand the current funding landscape, identify gaps, share experiences, build partnerships and develop practical solutions.

In his welcome remarks, Matseka said the turnout reflected a shared commitment to strengthening Botswana’s creative economy. He noted that government had recognised the creative economy as a pillar of economic transformation under Vision 2036, National Development Plan 12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme. These frameworks seek to diversify the economy beyond mining and position entrepreneurship as a driver of growth.

Matseka cited the establishment of the National Arts Council of Botswana and the Film Fund, as well as financing initiatives such as the Southern Youth Development Fund and the Botswana Innovation Fund, as evidence of government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for creative talent.

However, he said challenges persist. Many talented creatives still struggled to access finance, technical support, business development services, markets and investment.

Drawing on CIPA’s experience administering the Levy on Technical Devices Fund (LTDF), which supports authors, publishers and the broader copyright industry, Matseka said the same challenges were evident.  

“Through administering the fund, CIPA has gained valuable insight into both the remarkable potential within Botswana’s creative sector and the challenges that continue to limit its growth. Our experience has reinforced one important lesson: no single institution can transform the creative economy on its own,” he said.

Matseka said sustainable growth would require stronger partnerships, better coordination, shared knowledge, innovative financing models and a common vision.  

“This is why your participation today is so valuable. As we engage throughout the day, I encourage all of us to think beyond our individual institutional mandates,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to identify practical opportunities for collaboration, reduce duplication of effort and leverage each other’s strengths. He also called for stronger referral mechanisms between institutions, improved access to finance and enhanced technical support.

Above all, he said stakeholders must create seamless pathways for creatives to move ‘from ideas to intellectual property, to sustainable businesses and ultimately to regional and international markets.’  

“When we succeed, we will not only empower individual creatives, but we will create jobs, stimulate innovation, preserve our cultural heritage, increase exports and contribute meaningfully to Botswana’s economic diversification agenda,” Matseka said.

Head of Scripted Content at MultiChoice South Africa Tebogo Matlawa said a major challenge was that many institutions invest in the creative sector independently. This, he said, leads to duplication, fragmented support and confusion among creatives seeking assistance.

Matlawa also raised concerns about ‘double dipping,’ where an organisation or creative enterprise seeks funding from multiple institutions for the same business need without disclosure.  

He said the lack of coordination and information sharing among funding bodies made such cases difficult to detect. This not only strains limited resources but also risks crowding out deserving creatives who have not yet accessed support.

The engagement ended with stakeholders agreeing on the need for a coordinated approach to funding and development in the creative sector. Ends