Debswana Calls for Commercialization and Diversification of Sports Funding in Botswana. Debswana has urged Botswana’s sporting community to explore new revenue streams to improve athlete performance, broaden participation, and attract more support. Speaking at the 2025 Sport Pitso, Rachel Mothibatsela, Debswana’s Executive Head of Corporate Affairs, emphasized the importance of commercializing sports to sustain and enhance Botswana’s sporting landscape.
Mothibatsela suggested various methods for generating revenue, including gate takings, merchandise sales, partnerships with commercial entities, and diversifying other activities. She stated that commercializing these aspects could help offset the operational costs of sports organizations while boosting outreach and support for athletes and teams.
Reflecting on Debswana’s long history of involvement in sport development, Mothibatsela shared both successes and challenges faced along the way. She noted that sports have the potential to create jobs and contribute significantly to Botswana’s economic growth. She also highlighted the company’s innovative Partnership Steering Committees (PSC), which have helped improve funding efficiencies through effective oversight, project management, risk management, and evaluation. The PSC model has proven successful in managing Debswana’s socio-economic development programs, particularly in sports, where it collaborates with sporting codes and community organizations to ensure positive outcomes.
Over the past decade, Debswana has invested P180 million into sports development in Botswana, supporting organizations like the Botswana Athletics Association and Botswana Football Association, as well as community clubs such as Orapa FC and Galaxy FC. This commitment has contributed to fostering talent and enhancing the country’s sporting culture.
At the event, Mothibatsela also emphasized the need for Botswana to fully operationalize a high-performance center, which would benefit the country’s athletes by providing them with advanced training and development opportunities.
The 2025 Sport Pitso, held under the theme “Rethinking Sport: Advancing Botswana to Greater Heights,” was hosted by the Ministry of Sport and Arts (MOSA) in collaboration with the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) and the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC). The event aimed to inspire new approaches to the development of sports in Botswana, with a focus on long-term sustainability and growth.
