MorataBW

MBW| CONTENTS
The
Recipe book for
Home-Brewed Success

CONTENTS |MBW
3
March 2021 MorataBW
Image Pixabay

32
THOBO KHATHOLA
I started with
people that I knew
personally. Those
mostly from my
community and
they gave me a
little to take home,
so I survived.

CONTENTS |MBW
52
PROPERTY
14
Is Your House Really an Asset? An in-depth
look into the Pros and Cons of a mortgage.
MENTAL HEALTH
20
Health Risks That Entrepreneurs Face while
growing their businesses.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
24
70
The new wave of wealth and fortune could
be inside the piggy bank.
Starting a Bakery Business in Botswana -
An indepth look.
AGRICULTURE
27
CAREERS
40
MOTORING
44
Banamile’s Bullish Pride in Simmental Brings
in Money.
Surviving Varsity - How to balance pleasure
and hardwork in university.
An in-depth look into The Catalytic
Converter Theft.
CREATIVE WRITING
48
A short story by Oratile Chaoka Two Days
Before Christmas.
MAXY-KHOISAN’S ANALOGY OF DEFYING ODDS
What has become a big brand called “Maxy-Khoisan” or “MmaGauta
ka Sebelebele” is a breakthrough that would take one to the biblical
Old Testament story of a young man called David, a heroic figure that
conquered the odds to the glory of his God.
FINANCE
10
Taking Stock in Investing in Equity in the Botswana Stock Exchange
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CREATIVE ARTS
57
Painting of the Month - Big Tim fights Gender
Based Violence through art.
TECHNOLOGY
61
Google’s Best Personal Development Apps of
2020.
LOCAL PRODUCT/SERVICE
79
Consumers’ choice of the Best Bakers in
Gaborone.
March 2021 MorataBW
5

MorataBW
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PUBLISHER
Tumo Modimoeng
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Mohurutshane
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Tsaone Segaetsho
CONTRIBUT0R
Amogelang Qupation
Masi
DESIGN
Tumo Modimoeng
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6 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
Pelegano Village Industries, Gabane
(+267) 310 5551 / 73 112 990
EMAIL US
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MBW| EDITOR'S LETTER
BEGIN STRONG
MENTAL STRENGTH GOES A
LONG WAY
Mental strength and
entrepreneurship
go hand in hand.
Many people are afraid to chase
their dreams, they rather give
up and not risk running into
the embarrassment of failures.
Unknown to most, they are also
giving up on the risk of greatness,
what if the risk pays off and you
achieve greatness?
Do not get me wrong, starting a business in Botswana is not easy
as one may think, we have a small population that is sceptical
as well. Despite all these, some people chased their dreams and
achieved greatness. We share local success stories to show that it is
possible, and also give an insight into the mental attitude you need
to make it in entrepreneurship. When starting a business, there
are many reasons for failures than success, and you need a strong,
determined attitude to achieve that little percentage of success.
Entrepreneurship is a hard journey.
As we jump on the PushaBW wagon, we profile an upcoming artist
who made a painting to address the national cry of Gender-Based
Violence in the Painting of the Month.
In a bid to reduce Botswana’s high import bill, the Ministry of Trade
If you quit on the process, you are
quitting on the result.
- Idowu Koyenikan
and Investment continues to reserve some industries for local
companies. We have seen the boom of local bottled water brands
after the ban on bottled water imports, with the latest being the ban
on baked goods. In a bid to support this initiative, we cover in-depth
the nitty-gritty of starting a baking business in Botswana. We hope
to see a boom of local biscuits and sought after cakes after this.
To finesse this, we profile three bakers who are the top consumers
choice for custom cakes. Benchmark from these to know what you
need to be a top baker in Botswana. MBW
TM
Tumo Modimoeng
Publisher
LIKE & FOLLOW US
moratabw
EMAIL US
info@moratabw.com
WEBSITE
www.moratabw.com
8 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
FINANCE
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk
in a world that’s constantly changing
really quickly, the only strategy that is
guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
– Mark Zuckerberg
March 2021 MorataBW
9

MBW| CONTENTS
interaction.
However, one of the headlines of the
last 12 months, when all the markets
were hit hard by Covid-19 in March last
year BSE was the last man standing.
That was before the first three cases
of the pandemic which sent the local
exchange into a downward spiral as the
rest of the global markets.
Taking Stock in Investing In Equity
In one of the ways to be wealthy, most financial advisors would
say, “save” while some voices shout, “invest!” Invest, in what?
BY TSAONE SEGAETSHO
Many ways go with the word
“investing.” It can either
be rearing livestock as an
investment or doing anything hoping to
get value for your money.
But MorataBW in this issue focuses
on investment in equity and Botswana
Stock Exchange (BSE) is the benchmark.
In simple words, a stock exchange is
a market place which offers everyone
a chance to buy shares on companies
listed on it which are mostly referred to
us publicly listed companies.
The BSE embodies the responsibility
to operate and regulate the securities
market. The securities at BSE include
Equities, Bonds & Exchange Traded
Funds. However this publication
focus this time is on equities held
by publicly listed companies. These
companies represent a spectrum of
industries and commerce; these
are Agriculture, Banking, Financial
Services, Wholesaling & Retailing,
Tourism, Energy, Mining & Materials,
Property & Trust, Security and
Telecommunications. In the current
affair, this publication moves its focus
on investment for the last 12 months
and how those in this risky business
fared locally and globally.
THE STOCKS IN
THE WAKE OF A PANDEMIC
The year 2020 came with what was
unusual for mankind; a virus came
and poisoned the whole atmosphere
forcing many to go into their fatal
escape. Governments around the world
also panicked, introduced measures
to find this pandemic which mostly
included reducing or banning human
LEARNING TO INVEST IN RISK
The case study of Covid-19 on securities
market could be a lesson for anyone
willing to take a gamble and invest
in company stock. Unforeseen and
unprecedented uncertainties can come
from nowhere.
Global markets started to respond
to Covid-19 pandemic with worrying
volatility and traders were fleeing
markets, panic selling out of fear. While
around March many local traders felt
their securities is much secure here in
Global markets started to
respond to Covid-19 pandemic
with worrying volatility
and traders were fleeing
markets, panic selling out
of fear. While around March
many local traders felt their
securities is much secure
here in landlocked Botswana
which was seen as almost
‘safer’ as that time it was
one of few countries not
registered any Covid-19 case.
10 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Dimitris Chapsoulas on Unsplash

STOCKS | FINANCE |MBW
landlocked Botswana which was seen
as almost ‘safer’ at that time as it was
one of few countries not registered any
Covid-19 case.
But things changed, with giant indexes
like America’s S&P 500 index, BSE was
not ever going to be spared. In April last
year when it was revealed that three
Batswana caught coronavirus, a wave
was seen as investors panic sold like
on the local equity market. Botswana
GDP slumped by 24 percent in the
second quarter of last year, the time
when Covid-19 scourged Botswana, a
very economically unproductive part of
2020.
According to the BSE 2020 market
performance, while the International
Monetary Fund released in October
2020 shows the world economy is
product (GDP) in the first quarter
came out at 2.7% before a very sharp
contraction of 24.0% in quarter two.
Third-quarter GDP registered a
decline of 6.0%. However, the economy
is forecast to register an overall decline
of 8.9% in 2020 before rebounding to
7.7% in 2021,” BSE 2020 report said.
In Botswana, according to BSE,
listed companies equally experienced
Many stocks declined in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
in other markets. As the government
announced the State of Emergency, the
Domestic Company Index (DCI) started
plummeting by 0.15 percent with all
prices changes for the week being
negative.
A stockbroker, Motswedi Securities,
that time observed that COVID-19
pandemic is making its mark known
projected to shrink by 4.4% in 2020,
there has been weaker global output
and this heralded falling revenues and
deficits mainly in an effort to contain
the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result,
according to the BSE review of 2020,
growth in Sub- Saharan Africa is set to
register a contraction of 3.0%.
“Domestically, the real gross domestic
the challenges brought about by the
pandemic particularly on the back of
national lockdowns and restrictions
in movement. Stock markets are
usually regarded as a barometer of the
economy and it is not surprising that
the Domestic Company Index (DCI)
declined by 8.2% in 2020, said BSE. This
seems to mirror the anticipated decline
Image ‘Crash’ Pixabay
March 2021 MorataBW
11

MBW| FINANCE | STOCKS
of 8.9% in the national economy in 2020 which was
against this challenging backdrop.
WAITING FOR THE STORM TO END
WHILE INVESTING ON PROMISE/ HOPE
A very opaque learning curve was traversed by
investors who had to ‘bank on hope’ continue with
the ‘gamble’ and wish for the best to come. The BSE
market performance trend report will teach us how
Investors looked
at businesses or
sectors which were
relevant during
Covid-19 lockdowns,
if not they sold their
securities and ran
away.
investors fared amid the storm
and after the dust settled. During
this time the BSE has been trying
to find ways of improving the
resilience of the domestic capital
market.
Last year ended without new
equity listings, but additional
share issuances on the BSE
raised capital amounting to
P103.9 million and P86.5
million on the domestic board and the foreign board
respectively.
“In 2020, we aggressively promoted the listings
value proposition and it has been heart-warming to
note the appetite by several companies to list in the
short to medium term. Interestingly, the pandemic
has challenged most unlisted companies to
restructure and look for avenues of sustainable long
term capital, being the stock exchange, which is very
important in pandemics such as this that negatively
affect solvency and access to traditional finance,”
says BSE of its attempt to keep the domestic index
going.
No one wanted to list their company amid
Covid-19 sweeping disruptions, meaning the risk of
investing in equity was heightened by the ongoing
circumstances, many sold while few bought.
WHAT THEY DID
DURING THE PANDEMIC AT PEAK?
In the 4th quarter of 2020, when bad things began,
banks like ABSA and FNBB together with microlender
Letshego were most performing while most of the
companies collapsed. Beer brewer Sechaba also held grip.
A lesson learnt is that investors looked at businesses or
sectors which were relevant during Covid-19 lockdowns,
if not they sold their securities and ran away. The banking
sector remained standing as investors banked on the hope
that digital technology would save their money while
businesses were at standstill.
“Given the envisaged and unfolding economic impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic, most lenders would increasingly
become frugal and borrowers, being corporates, could
be compelled to increase their levels of equity capital.
One of the ways of achieving this is by floating their
shares on the BSE to raise funds from the public. Practice
has demonstrated that a listed company tends to be
progressively credible for further lending by private
institutions as, among several considerations, a diversified
capital structure reduces its credit risk,” in September,
BSE tried to explain the business sentimental link between
lenders and registered companies beyond the two just
trading in the same security market.
But the resilience of lenders was short-lived as ABSA lost
more than P7 million while FNBB lost over P10 million in
the third quarter of 2020.
Even the micro-lender, Letshego, which has been seen as
hope because of its said to be sustainable loan book lending
to the public sector, collapsed in the third quarter of 2020.
This means for one to invest in equity, they should gauge
the sentiments of the whole market and see where it is
moving. Due diligence and research are needed.
According to BSE, the top 3 traded companies during
the period under review were Letshego (P170.7Mn), FNBB
(P81.2 Mn) and Sechaba (P78.0 Mn). Even though the total
turnover from these 3 companies accounted for 47.2% of
total equity turnover, with the leading counter Letshego
accounting for 24.4% of total equity turnover, the high
volatility of the market in 2020 placed uncertainty on
where one can place their mind on.
You could buy or sell and then get unprecedented results,
like in the case of the lending sector’s stocks losing grip
after holding on for the better part of the second quarter of
2020 when there was a battle with Covid-19. MBW
12 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
PROPERTY
“Landlords grow rich in
their sleep without working,
risking or economising.”
- John Stuart Mill, Political Economist
March 2021 MorataBW
13

MBW| CONTENTS
IS YOUR HOUSE AN
ASSET OR A LIABILITY
IN DISGUISE?
BY TUMO MODIMOENG
Ask an accountant this, and they will tell you it is an asset. Ask someone in business, and they will
tell you it is not! This is one of the most controversial topics in the property sector right now with
a lot of ‘Aha! I told you so moments’. An expert real estate investor once had realtors stop sending
him Christmas cards just because he wrote that a house is not an asset in his book!
14 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Cindy Tang Unsplash

PROPERTY |MBW
FINANCIAL PERCEPTION
From a finance standpoint, a house is an asset as it can
bring you money; you can either sell it or use it to borrow
money as a security. Financiers argue that the value of
the property appreciates over the years. But, that is not
always the case; your property can depreciate.
What is
an Asset?
According to the Oxford dictionary, an asset is a thing
of value, especially property, that a person or company
owns, which can be sold to pay debts or make money.
Investopedia describes an asset as something that adds
an economic value and can generate cash flows, i.e.,
you can sell it to get money.
What is a
Liability?
According to Investopedia, a liability is something a
person or company owes, usually a sum of money.
Oxford explains a liability as to the state of being legally
responsible for something. Thus an asset will earn or
can earn you money whilst a liability costs you money
to have. So does your house bring you money, or it
takes away from you so much so that a slight increase
in electricity tariffs digs holes in your pocket?
BUSINESS PERCEPTION
In business, a residential house is a liability as it does not
generate any income at the moment whilst the owner
stays inside. According to Real Estate investor and author
of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, “an asset is
something that puts money in your pocket and creates
some cash flow, whereas a liability is something that
takes money away from you.” Kiyosaki firmly states that a
house is not an asset, rather a liability. “Your home is your
bank’s asset if you could read a financial statement.”
WHAT MAKES YOUR HOUSE A LIABILITY?
A mortgage is a loan you get from a bank to purchase
or build a home. Repayments are lengthy and extend for
up to 20 years with predetermined monthly payments.
For years, the borrower will repay the debt, with interest,
before the loan is cleared and the property is owned.
So, the mortgage house is not yours, because it is the
bank’s before you clear it. On average, for 20 years of the
mortgage payment, you will have paid interest of over
P1 Million ($91,300.02) on a P1 Million mortgage
totalling more than P2 Million ($182,600.04) in total
payments. Should you not afford the instalments, the
bank will repossess the house and auction it. Note that
the mortgage costs more than the value of the home, and
there’s another thing called the real estate crash when
demand and value for homes fall dismally. Therefore,
it is not always assured that the value of the house will
appreciate, many considerations come into play, such as
location, size and many others. You could be paying a lot
more than the value of your home.
SHOULD YOU TAKE A MORTGAGE?
It depends on what you are taking it for, and businesswise,
it is advisable to take a mortgage for real estate
March 2021 MorataBW
15

MBW| PROPERTY
investment. In that way, you are
borrowing to create cash flow, and
you can increase your monthly
instalments to reduce the total interest
paid. Borrowing against your house
for things that do not generate a cash
flow is not advisable, such as buying
a car. But, it is a different story if you
use your house as security to buy a
bus, rather borrow to generate money.
Create good debt instead.
Let’s say that you take a P1 Million
mortgage to build a property that
brings in P18,000 per month (10
bachelor pads at P1,800 rent each
unit per month).
Then instead of paying P8,178, you
pay monthly instalments of P12,000
or up to P15,000.
This will allow you to cut the 20 years
to at least ten years, thus reducing the
total interest paid by half. And by the
time you finish paying the mortgage,
not only do have property but can
amass P216, 000 ($19, 980) annually
in revenue. With this, you can acquire
more property and gradually increase
your cash flow to more than
P1,000,000 ($93, 000).
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO OWN A HOUSE?
Note that the bigger the house, the
bigger the expenses.
You may have to hire a garden boy,
the house helpers, security and
many more. All these deduct from
your salary plus the mortgage, car
payments, school fees, and your takehome
gets little.
There isn’t a straight cut way to own a
house, and it all depends on individual
circumstances. However, from a
Your home is your
bank’s asset if
you could read a
financial statement.
- Robert Kiyosaki
Mortgage repayment plans at the ABSA and Standard Chartered Banks.
* These amounts are derived from the banks’ Home Loan Calculators as listed on
their websites as of 04 March 2021. The Monthly Repayments, Interests and Final
payments are approximated and may be subject to change at the banks.
* Using the Simple Interest Formula gives different and higher total interest
amounts.
business point of view, it is advisable
to have something that finances your
dream home, some cash flow on the side
to relieve you of all the house expenses.
Have something pay your mortgage and
cut your payments at least up to 50%.
ABSA BANK
STANDARD CHARTERED
AMOUNT: P1,000,000.00 P1,000,000.00
DEPOSIT: P100, 000.00 UNSPECIFIED
INTEREST: 10% UNSPECIFIED
PERIOD: 20 YEARS
MONTHLY PAYMENT: P8,685.00 P9,485.17
ANNUAL PAYMENT: P104,220.00 P113,822.04
TOTAL PAYMENT: P2, 084,400.00 P2,276,440.80
TOTAL INTEREST: P1,084,400.00 P1,276,440.44
You may even consider renting out your
mansion and rent in a cheaper house
until the mortgage clears. But then we
all have different preferences, and some
people find convenience much better
than saving a couple of Pulas.
MBW
16 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
MENTAL
SUCCESS
“Nothing can stop the man with the
right mental attitude from achieving
his goal; nothing on earth can help the
man with the wrong mental attitude.”
– Thomas Jefferson
March 2021 MorataBW
17

MBW| LIFE LESSONS | BITTER-PILL
Life Lessons We Often Learn Late
Life as tough as it is will continually drag you down, no matter how hard you try. However, there
are some key lessons that can entirely change how we look at life and help one gain positivity
admist all the mayhem life may throw at us in our entrepreneurship journeys.
BY TUMO MODIMOENG
“Life is the survival of the fittest.”
“When life gives you lemons, make
lemonade out of it!” they say.
I bet you have come across these life
quotes, what are these lemons that they
are talking about?
Or what does it mean to be the fittest?
Life is not fair, never will be and was
never meant to be. It took me almost the
entirety of my life to discover life’s most
important lessons.
How do you keep peace and positivity
in a world full of atrocities?
Through listening to tons of inspiring
speeches from accomplished individuals,
here are some of the life lessons I
learned.
18 MorataBW March 2021
Image ‘Boy’ Pixabay

1SUCCESS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT
This is one of the bitterest pills
to swallow. Contrary to popular belief,
successful people worked hard to be
where they are at. Whether it be in
careers or business, there are so many
pleasures that they denied themselves
to get where they are.
Unless you are born into a wealthy
family, mind that your share of wealth
can still diminish though if not managed
well. Royalties also have to work hard to
find favour amongst their people, that is
where their success lies. And you are a
result of your actions/decisions.
Have you noticed that, whatever
circumstance you experience, someone
may have come across a similar
situation? We do not have control over
what life throws at us or even how
others treat us. But we have control of
how we respond to those situations.
Whether you break down and give up
on life or emerge stronger from those is
entirely upon us.
2SORROUND YOURSELF WITH GREATNESS
Your friends play an important role
in your life, they can either build you up
or tear you down. Some friends are no
good, jealous and evil-hearted and your
life is better off without those. Surround
yourself with people who want the best
for you, those that encourage you when
you are down and look out for you.
Those that embrace your achievements
and also help you to grow into a better
person.
3KNOW YOURSELF
Being aware of your strengths
and weaknesses and capabilities will
It doesn’t matter who you are in life, it only
matters who you want to become and the
price you are willing to pay to get there.
- Tom Bilyeu
help you navigate life. What are the
things that make you happy, those that
make you angry? Knowing yourself
is crucial and helps you to improve
on your weaknesses and grow into a
better person. You get to stay clear of
characters and environments that will
not do you well but harm.
4FIND YOUR PASSION
“Passion is the feeling that you have
that you’d probably do something for
free and you can’t believe that someone
pays you to do it!” Simon Sinek.
What is that thing that fulfils you, that
you have so much fun doing? Passion
keeps you going even when things
are tough, and many others would
have given up. If you are passionate
at something, you are more likely to
succeed at it. That is why some people
still persevere in extreme circumstances
because of passion.. Passion will open
doors for you, it may take time, but it
eventually will.
5DO NOT COMMIT TO INEFFECTIVENESS
“Lunacy is doing the same thing
expecting different results!” T.D Jakes.
If you can’t control a situation, either
change yourself or how you relate to
that thing. There’s no use doing the
same thing over and over that doesn’t
bear fruits. There comes a time in life
when one should notice that no matter
how much they try, they cannot change
a situation.
6LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
No one is perfect, right?
Do not let pride get the best of you and
lead you astray. We are all bound to
mess up at some point. Own up to your
mistakes and use them as a stepping
tool for you to better yourself in life.
How will you learn from your mistakes
if you do not own up to them?
7FORGIVE YOURSELF
Sometimes we make catastrophic
mistakes that change our lives for the
worst. We go to prison, lose loved ones
and get painful consequences that make
our lives take a wrong turn. Our lives
stop for quite some time because of
those, and we can’t believe how careless
we have been.
But, life won’t wait for you to recollect
yourself, the clock never stops ticking.
So it’s crucial to accept that we messed
up and own to our mistakes, ask for
forgiveness where due and set yourself
free. Why would you expect someone
to forgive you when you can’t forgive
yourself? Be that man that messes up
his life and one day decides to turn it
around, and achieves greatness. You can
be your own hero. MBW
March 2021 MorataBW
19

HEALTH
Health Risks That
Entrepreneurs Face
How do you strike the cord between running a
business and maintaining a healthy lifestyle when
starting a business? BY TUMO MODIMOENG
Entrepreneurship is highly-decorated,
and it is not likely what you are hearing.
It is not for the faint-hearted, and no one
is there to warn you of the grim side
of entrepreneurship. If you think your
previous job was stressful, welcome
to the real deal, congratulations are in
order! Entrepreneurs are risk-takers,
and most invest all they have to start a
business, and failure is not an option.
With this constant pressure to succeed
come health risks.
CHRONIC STRESS AND HEADACHE
The pressure to excel means constant
tracking of transactions, clients,
and day-to-day working. Especially
when it is new, and you do not have
enough workers to assign. And if
you can delegate, you will still worry
that something could go wrong. You,
still have the pressure to uphold the
standard and deliver, both of which
means a rise in the stress hormones.
The stress from running a business
can result in a headache that lasts
for days, trying to find a solution to
resolve the matters at hand. Sometimes
you may experience a mental freeze,
whereby the brain is just tired.
BAD DIET AND NON-COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES (NCDS)
With a busy lifestyle, entrepreneurs
rarely have time to prepare a
decent lunch or even go home to a
nice home-cooked meal, so most of
them would resort to fast food. The
consumption of energy drinks and
coffee to uplift their energy levels
also adds to the bad diet.
Bad diet leads to poor health such
as diabetes, high blood pressure and
heart disease. NCDs are mostly are the
result of bad diet and lack of exercise.
Entrepreneurs rarely have time for
exercise. The constant consumption of
high caffeine drinks can also lead to
palpitations, thus increasing a chance
for heart disease.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
If it’s not the stress, it’s working for
late extended hours. On average,
entrepreneurs work 60% more hours
than the average employee work hours.
So they hardly have time to get some
good sleep.
However, one can combat these risks by
taking the following steps:
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
It is not easy for entrepreneurs to sleep
early and get the required 7-8 hours of
sleep. They often sleep late and wake
up early. However, getting enough sleep
is crucial for being productive, at least
aim for 6 hours. Get rid of things that
may deprive you of sleep, switch off
your phone if need be or put it on silent.
Ensure that the room you sleep in is
cool as this helps maintain your sleep.
Limit watching television and the
computer when nearing bedtime as
these emit the blue-ray light. The blueray
disturbs the body production of the
sleep hormone and makes it hard to fall
asleep. You may listen to soulful music
to help you ease the body to sleep. Get
some shower, and follow a sleep routine.
20 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash

EXERCISE AND HYDRATE
Exercising early in the morning is
proven to add some productivity, visit
the gym as early as 5 am, and hit
some cardio and body exercises for 30
minutes.
Do enough not to make your body
tired, hit the shower afterwards and
head out to work refreshed.
Hydrate well throughout the day, and
drink at least 2 litres of water a day
as recommended. Get yourself some
clear water jar; put some lemon and
cucumber in it.
Not only does this make the water
desirable to drink, but it also allows
the body to detoxify and get rid of
contaminants that may allow you to
wear.
EAT HEALTHILY
Rather than buying take-away for lunch,
pack some home-cooked lunch. If you
don’t have someone to make you some
lunch, get lunch with low fats and oils
such as lean meat, vegetables (green
salads) and a little bit of starch on the
side.
Examples of lean meat are beef, lamb,
chicken, turkey, and seafood. Bear in
mind that roasted meat (braai) is not as
safe as you would think.
Scientific evidence has found that
cooking meat at high temperatures
releases chemicals that can raise cancer,
such as Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs)
and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs). These result from the reaction
between amino acids and creatine
during cooking at high temperature.
High consumption of roasted meat
increases the risk of prostate, colorectal
and pancreatic cancer.
TAKE BREAKS
There are times when the fatigue is just
too much, and you are not productive
anymore. Signs can be itchy eyes,
mental fatigue, headache and extreme
tiredness. Put everything aside and
reset, freshen up and take a complete
break from work for at least two days or
until the fatigue signs disappear.
CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR REGULARLY
Visit your doctor regularly to monitor
your health to catch any health
conditions at early stages. MBW
March 2021 MorataBW
21

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22 MorataBW March 2021
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CONTENTS |MBW
AGRICULTURE
Investments in Agriculture are the best weapons
against hunger and poverty, and they have lives
better or the millions.
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
March 2021 MorataBW
23

The New Wave
of Wealth &
Fortune Could
Be Inside The
Piggy Bank
Evidence shows that the demand for
pork is currently high with a dwarfed
supply. Optimistic studies observe that
in the coming years, Botswana will be
self-sufficient in pork production.
BY KAGISO KGOTLAETSHO
IN IRONY THAT COMES WITH LIFE,
despite it being referred to as a “filthy”
animals and its flesh being avoided
by many religions but on the contrary
associated with all the good things in the
western and some eastern cultures, a pig is
regarded as a symbol of luck and a synonym
of wealth and fortune.
Not really a well traditionally domesticated
animal in Botswana farms, a pig is now the
in thing and there is a revolution of the
demand for pork by Batswana and shops as
an alternative to beef which is perceived to
be not healthy. There are currently many
budding piggery productions and in the
social media many people are found a niche
market for selling. It used to be chicken
meat, now pork gathers meat lovers for a
The statistics
provided by
the Ministry
of Agriculture
and Food
Security
indicate that
the numbers
are gradually
increasing
with years.
roast or a braai in most social gatherings.
According to verified statistics dating back
to 2017, pig population proved to increase
annually. In 2017 there were 9 439 pigs, 2018
the number went to 10 073 while in 2019 12
076 pigs were recorded.
According to the Senior Scientific Officer at
Ministry of Agriculture, Othusitse Sebolaakhudu,
this growth in pig population was mostly in
2019.
“We noticed this growth in 2019 after the
government introduced the subsidy in pig feed,”
he said. He further pointed out that even the
market opened up and shops started buying pork
products at a better price as compared to the
past years where the scale was about 29 to 32
per kg, and now the prices are around 42 per kg
hence Batswana tapping into that market.
24 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY |MBW
DEMAND
Sebolaakhudu also highlighted that the import bill for pork
has decreased in the last three years. In 2017 the country
was importing 897.18 tonnes of pork, in 2018 the weight
dropped to 518.99 tonnes while 2019 was 327.6 tones.
“This is one of the factors why we conclude that we are
growing in the piggery production because our import bill is
decreasing rapidly,” he added.
However, he also voiced that this growth comes with an
increased for quality control as they (ministry) ensure on
inspecting piggeries to ensure that the meat it up to the
required standards. Despite this growing trend, the local
produce and imported pork still do not meet the national
demand that stands at 1 500 tonnes annually. In 2017 the
local produce was at 391.74t, in 2018 it was at477.01t
and 590,17t in 2019. On average, according
to studies, the local population consumes 125
tonnes of pork per month.
breed, their offspring becomes a gigantic pig preferred for
its meat by butcheries. However, the Duroc female is poor in
reproduction as it gives less than ten piglets per litter.
FARMERS IN THE PIGGY CASH
Having started in 2017, Namzamo Pig Farm long saw
potential in this industry and took advantage of the new
revolution of pig farming meeting pork demand. According
to the Farm Manager, Portia Sefako, pig farming comes with
passion and love for pigs. “Batswana regarded pig farming
as a dirty business only because of how the stock used to be
kept traditionally. In the past Batswana used to rear pigs as
free-range grazers,” said Sefako.
Sefako also reminded that training is needed in piggery
BREEDS
The most kept breed in Botswana is the
Large White pig which is known for its large
body, good piglet management, and the high
reproduction rate of about 15 to 17 piglets.
This Large White breed can give birth twice a
year. A mature male pig can amass weight of
310-400kg while his female counterpart can
weight 250-330kg.
Though not mostly kept in local piggery
farms, the other breed found in Botswana is
Landrace which grows tall and long while
having the same qualities as the Large White.
The third breed seen in local kraal is the cross
breed of the above mentioned breeds, and it has
combined attributes of both. This mixed breed
grows fast, are environmentally friendly to the
local climate and have a good weight.
Another breed which is now coming out of
the shores is Duroc which is mostly kept as a
male for breeding. Due to its high mass, when
crossed with the Large White or the Landrace
TOP RIGHT:
A pig can have between 10-17 pigglets.
BOTTOM-RIGHT:
Mouth-watering ribs.
Photos by Bao Menglong and Kameron Kincade on Unsplash
March 2021 MorataBW
25

MBW| BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY | SMALL STOCK
farming. She said through the training she acquired from
South Africa Sefako is now empowered and equipped into
rearing pigs for commercialisation.
At Namsamo they keep both the Landrace and Large
White pigs for meat and breeding. They sell piglets when
they are about a month old to other farmers. Sefako said
that they sell for meat at 5-7 months, mainly to Sean
Foods who buy at a better price of up to P42 per kg.
Sefako said they sell their pork to retailers through an
association called Dikolobe Association where they group
their produce with other farmers and sell as a group.
Another farm, Tsimako Farm, also started this business of
rearing pigs in the pork wave of 2017 when a niche in this
market was discovered. At Tsimako they keep 39 female
breeding stock and 2 boars. It is said that a number of
boars do not matter much as it is easy for one male pig to
mate with many females.
According to the farm manager at Tsimako, Reuben
Itseng, it takes 2 days for mating to be complete. “One
male is enough because during the mating period we
supervise mating 3 times then it will be done. In the
morning, evening and the next day morning then we are
certain our females will fall pregnant,” he narrated.
Tsimako focuses more on selling for meat at 6 months.
They have tapped the market at butcheries, restaurants
and supermarkets though they struggle to meet the high
demand. They are also selling piglets for breeding to other
farmers. “For now we cannot complain about shortage of
demand in the market because we are still planning to
meet the current high demand of pork,” he concluded.
REPRODUCTION
One of the factors that make this business viable is the life
cycle of a pig. A female pig takes 3 months, 3 weeks and 3
days for it to give birth, from there it takes almost 30 days
for a farmer to separate it from its piglets which most of
the times count around 15 days depending on mortality
rate. However, due to good piglet management of Large
White and Landrace breeds that can be easily attained.
It is said that after 7 days the female pig will be ready for
mating, depending its heat period.
At a month old a piglet is fit to be sold to other farmers for
breeding. Usually the best quality meat of pig is when it is 5 to
7 months old. Most farmers advised and encouraged feeding
pigs well and giving them enough and required vaccination
for them to grow healthy and produce quality pork.
CHALLENGES
Despite the opportunities, the industry has crucial challenges
like shortage of abattoirs. This could because the production
of pigs is not yet a popular venture in Botswana hence one
should build their own abattoir.
According to Ministry of Agriculture, there are three
certified abattoirs in the country, one in Gaborone North
that services the whole southern region of Botswana, Sebina
abattoirs and the government abattoir at Selibe Phikwe.
Because of the shortage, farmers wait in queues to slaughter
their pigs, something that frustrates their eagerly and growing
impatiently customers. However, the Ministry regards this as
a business opportunity for Batswana to venture into provision
of abattoir facilities and curb this shortage.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
The Ministry of Agriculture has since implemented policies
which will aid in elevating piggery production from small-hold
farming to bigger pig enterprises in Botswana. Sebolaakhudu
revealed that the government has erected a farm called Sebele
‘Pig Multiplication Unit’ where farmers are trained about the
whole piggery production process. At this initiative, they also
sell pure breeds to farmers at a lower price to maintain quality
genes in the country. The project also comes with training or
education stalls to impart skills on piggery production.
Sebolaakhudu also said that they allow small scale producers
to import pig feed since locally there is current outcry of
exorbitant pricing on the feeds.
He also encouraged youth to take part in piggery farming
and jump into any gap left in the entire value chain be it
feeding pigs, building abattoirs or rearing pigs, as the country
still import a lot for the section. MBW
26 MorataBW March 2021

FARMING SUCCESS
Banamile’s Bullish Passion in Simmental
Breeding Now Bringing in Money
BY KAGISO KGOTLAETSILE
A
STORY OF HUMBLE
beginnings, a journey
through to the learning
curve of modern farming,
sees local farmer Aobakwe Banamile
starting his Simmental breeding with
Banamile with one of his young bulls.
only six cattle in 2002 to now owning
a herd of 150 cattle in his kraal.
The Simmental, gets its name from
the region where the cattle were first
bred, in the Simme Valley, located in
the Berner Oberland in Switzerland.
Its outer anatomy, the Europe originated
Simmental colour varies from gold
to red with white, and maybe evenly
distributed or clearly defined in patches
on a white background.
The head is white, and often a white
band appears over the shoulders. The
Simmental breed is suited for almost
all kind of climates and can survive
well in countries where the winters are
tough and in those with pretty high
temperatures. The breed adapts easily
to the most varied conditions from rural
small-holder to large extensive ranching
operations.
The breed is proved to also possess
good qualities, local Simmental farmer
Banamile was mostly intrigued by the
following characteristics; excellent
mothering ability, early maturity, good
growth rates and uniformity in type and
colour. Simmentals are bred all over the
world for their high beef yields. It allows
variations in emphasis from mothering
ability to beefing qualities. The heavy
muscling, length and overall size and
weight of the animal are combined to
produce a well-fleshed carcass of solid
red meat with a minimum of waste fat.
Banamile’s passion for rearing
cattle can be traced back to his roots
as a young Motswana who sought to
follow a cultural lineage of farming
as a social expectation. His fanaticism
in agriculture grew even bigger with
exuberance fuelled by an academic
March 2021 MorataBW
27

MBW| AGRICULTURE | FARMING SUCCESS
encounter at junior and
senior schools, Banamile
even enrolled for an animal
husbandry curriculum at
some point in his educational
journey.
Still on his long journey,
Banamile revealed that
in 2012, a decade later
after starting Simmental
farming, he bought his
first pure Simmental bulls
with the aim of breeding
for commercial purposes.
In his commercialisation
and breeding voyage, 2016
Banamile was selected
for breeding training at
Mokopane in the Limpopo
Province of South Africa.
That is where he was
empowered on how to
effectively and efficiently
breed the Simmental breed.
“After my training at
Mokopane, I bought my
first pure Simmental
female which intensified
the breeding of my kraal. I
then owned both a female
and bull pure breeds, with
also the breeding technical
knowledge I acquired
recently prior to that,“ he
said.
MANAGEMENT
Being one of the few who
pioneered Simmental
farming in a country
of shortage of rainfall,
droughts and financial
challenges, which are
often mostly perpetuated
as comprising failures of
Botswana’s agriculture
industry, Banamile has
however a positive survival
story to tell.
At the peak of his
The Simmental often has a white head with a
white band on the shoulders.
Simmentals are bred all over the world
for their high beef yields. It allows
variations in emphasis from mothering
ability to beefing qualities. The heavy
muscling, length and overall size and
weight of the animal are combined to
produce a well-fleshed carcass of solid
red meat with a minimum of waste fat.
training and the quest for commercialisation five years ago,
Banamile said he adopted “good management with a lot of
emphasise on efficiency in cattle managing” to maximize
impeccable results. Some of the skills he acquired from
the academic workshops he attended where he networked
with well-established farmers across the world. Now a
fully-fledged commercial farmer and a full manager of his
project, he adapted the need for adequate water source, a
vital component in cattle farming especially in this dry or
drought environment.
“At my cattle post area, there is a ‘syndicate borehole’
where each farmer has water installed directly at his kraal.
Because of that reliability in water supply, I introduced a
28 MorataBW March 2021
Image by Ralph Klein from Pixabay

are practice culturally of giving cattle
water in the evening as compared to
the traditional norm of animals getting
water in the morning,” Banamile said.
Moving to other aspects of managing
his livestock, Banamile talked of his
unique technique of making his cattle to
eat and drink at the same time.
He elaborated of this practice which
governs his cattle to always return from
the grazing land in search of water in
the evening. According to Banamile,
this made sure that there is no cow
that gives birth or spends the night
in the bush, plus this gives the bulls a
chance of mating during the night and
it also helps in proper checking and
assessment of each cow on a daily basis.
Banamile can control his herd and how
they mate, give birth, eat and drink at
once.
Another dose of his herd management
book, Banamile says that he separates
his bulls from grazing with females to
conserve their energy. The Simmental
breed is a weighty cow, some farmers
argue that it does not perform well
in drought seasons due to its short
distance travelling as compared to
Brahman breed which can cover more
kilometres in search of food.
While the hefty Simmental cow is
synonymous with slow performance
as she cannot move her body at a
swifter pace, her male counterpart with
much bulkier body mass and muscles
is regarded as much sluggish. In his
management skills Banamile tries to
bring an antidote to that.
“I usually separate the bulls from
females as they cannot maintain the
pace of the females, I supplement them
every day to keep them in good shape
hence they don’t travel much in search
of food, so during the night they still
Up-To
P200
thousand in
Annual
Sales
Up-To
P30 per/KG
Bulls
Sell for
P20-35
thousand
have enough energy to mate,” he said.
According to Banamile,
supplementary feeding is key in farming
as by so doing one will be closing the
feeding gap that the grazing-land or
vegetation cannot cover. For attaining
that, he ploughs lablab and mixes it with
other supplements such as P18 and P6,
and these have improved the feeding of
his breed.
RECORD KEEPING
Banamile also practices recordkeeping
and traceability of livestock
even during his absence and for better
data management. He is planning to
maintaining his herd of 150 cattle for
easy management. Banamile believes
having a large number of cattle could
be difficult to manage especially in the
free-range grazing platform that he is
exposed to.
MARKET
The market remains smiling for
Banamile despite many economic
factors that comes with coronavirus
business disruptions and the separate
dynamics of supply and demand
affecting prices.
Since becoming fully commercial
several years ago Banamile makes
around P200,000 every year supplying
to popular retailers and numerous
butcheries in the Kweneng region.
Curiously, Banamile prefers selling to
butcheries than BMC. He further said
that the minimum weight of his cattle at
butcheries ranges at 250kg per caucus.
“I do most of my sales at butcheries
because they buy at a better price from
(P23 - 30 per kg) which we have agreed
and they also pay well on time unlike
BMC who takes a long time,” he boldly
expounded.
Banamile also said he has discovered
a unique niche of selling young pure
bulls and females to other farmers with
the idea of increasing good quality in
the country.
In 2020 the local Simmental breeder
managed to sell six young bulls with
prices ranging from P20,000 - P35,000
each, and he intends to increase
the number of bulls each year. For
March 2021 MorataBW
29

MBW| FARMING SUCCESS
Banamile’s Simmental herd.
crossbreeds, he sells at P9, 000 each;
pregnant pure females at P15, 000 each
while pure females at around P 11,000.
Banamile applauded some local
farmers who are into practising stud
breeding as that can elevate the local
market of quality genes. He believes the
beef industry is still open and promising
as the government is in support of
farmers and regularly introduces
subsidy during the drought seasons.
CHALLENGES
One of the threats to Banamile’s
Simmental farming are predators and
droughts of all these years. He said wild
dogs (Makanyane) usually ravage his
The market
remains smiling
for Banamile
despite many
economic factors
that come with
coronavirus
business,
disruptions and
the separate
dynamics of supply
and demand
affecting prices.
stock coming from the Khutse Game
Reserve, situated in Kitiya, just near his
cattle post which is proximal to Salajwe.
While wild dogs can be avoided by
the use of horses to scare them away
Banamile said for combating drought,
farmers in his region have formed an
association called 11 to encourage each
farmer to plough for drought seasons
and buy enough supplements well in
advance. Covid-19 also became the
other plight to cattle farming, according
to Banamile. He said due to Covid-19,
agriculture shows, which are platforms
of selling and buying of livestock and
benchmarking from other farmers, were
cancelled since last year. MBW
30 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
LOCAL
BUSINESS
SUCCESS
STORY
“There are no secrets to success.
It is the result of preparation, hard
work and learning from failure.”
– Colin Powell
March 2021 MorataBW
31

MBW| COVER STORY
MARK
YOUR TERRITORY
BY NAMETSO FRANCE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CYC JOUCY
WE WERE NOT THERE
when it all began,
but we can pick a
slice of what is a
toast now as to where the name must
have come from. And this is because
of the analogical narrative we got
from a sit-down interview. From the
curious trademark, we got a pictural
imagination of a lion’s instinctive
approach to hunting. It came from nothing, was
driven to its next prey by its sense of smell,
and pouncing on its target, it took it down as a
carcass for a feast.
Looking ahead from lions and the illustration
that got our captivation, there is Thobo
Kgathola whose journey began in the year 2012
while he was persuing his Bachelors degree in
Commerce, Economics and Management at the
University of Pretoria, South Africa. Kgathola
32 MorataBW March 2021

He came with a dream to solve Botswana’s academic
struggles which have seen the national pass rate
drop from all level of education. He came, with lions’
claws, to fight the dire educational scourge with his
experience and expertise.
33
Photo by
March
Prince
2021
David
MorataBW
on Unsplash

MBW| LOCAL SUCCESS
I started with people that I knew
personally. Those mostly from my
community and they gave me a little to
take home, so I survived.
in his second year at the University
of Pretoria, because he excelled in his
learning programme, secured a job as a
tutor. He did wonders and was ranked
top 100 out of staff compliment of
20 000 tutors, this got him a gig at a
tutoring centre in South Africa called
‘Teach Me Too.’ The centre has branches
in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Mpumalanga
and beyond.
His academic road in South Africa
reached its intended destination where
he graduated with flying colours.
Kgathola came back home, and he was
fastpaced in joining the long and deep
pool of unemployment. That is when he
decided to put his tutor’s hat on.
Kgathola started his business with no
work station and the car that he bought
from his earlier savings was his ‘mobile
office.’
“I started with people that I knew
personally. Those mostly from my
community and they gave me a little to
take home, so I survived,” he said.
The now well-established company
which has a headquarters office boasting
300 tutors, from a small business
ran from a car seat, he came with a
dream to address Botswana’s academic
struggles which have seen the national
pass rates drop across all levels of basic
education. He came, with lions’ claws, to
fight the dire educational scourge with
his experience and expertise.
And he had a business plan. Growing
up, Kgathola was exposed to business as
he sold from the family farm produce,
including sugar cane, spinach, tomatoes
among others. That is where he derived
his resilient business instinct.
Going back to the name of the
brand and the lion’s head on the logo,
Kgathola explained that it started as
an encouragement for his clients, the
students, to show the courage of a
lion. Like lions when in the jungle, his
clientele should get out there, work hard
and be the best that they can become.
‘’A lion is the king of the jungle, it
has strength, focus and pride hence we
want our clientele to exhibit the lion. It
is at the top and does not negotiate its
place. We want our clients to be best,
be the lion and dominate wherever they
are,” Kgathola explains the rules of the
jungle.
Unlike the lion on the logo, Kgathola,
wearing a fresh face, talks with much
diplomacy. He said his business is
customer-centric, clients are his biggest
investors.
Kgathola started his business without
any capital, as he had no financial
assistance. He just started from his
church and community network asking
34 MorataBW March 2021

|MBW
THOBO KHATHOLA
FOUNDER: LION TUTORING
EST: 2015
March 2021 MorataBW
35

MBW| CONTENTS
parents if they would like him to
tutor their children. The parents
happily paid for children writing
examinations and came back with a
smile after good results.
When all are told to register
businesses so that they can render
services, Kgathola said that may
mostly be unnecessary as customers
only desire services rendered, the
rest one can take care of later albeit
sooner. He said if services are good,
the customer base will grow, even
outgrow expectations.
‘’In Lion Tutoring, we roll out a red
carpet for our customers and with
that approach, we had more than 1
800 active customers this year. Our
customers are individuals hence the
customized service. I am confident to
say we go all out to make them feel
special,’’ said Kgathola.
GROWTH
Lion Tutoring grew from 60 students
in March 2015 with only 3 tutors to
more than 500 students end of 2017.
A significant increase in students was
experienced in the year 2016 with over
300 new students. By the end of 2017,
Lion Tutoring had employed 80 tutors.
Kgathola disclosed that he tutored
more than 40 students in a given month
before Lion Tutoring started hiring
tutors. In order to service his clientele,
he had to work 7 days a week and made
close to P20,000 a month.
According to Kgathola, Lion Tutoring
has experienced year-on-year growth.
In the first year, the tutoring centre
made an annual turnover of P289,000,
P600,000 in the third year and P3.8
Million in the firth year. Kgathola has
reported that in the sixth year, they are
on track to make P10 Million.
Lion Tutoring continues to grow in leaps
and bounds and currently operates
four branches in Botswana and one in
Johannesburg, South Africa while tutors
attend to their students at home and
online. Most Lion Tutoring employees
work from home.
Kgathola’s achievements have earned
him recognition beyond Botswana.
He has been featured on the cover of
Forbes magazine and listed in its Top
30 young African entrepreneurs.
His goal was to run a successful
business by the age of 30 and he did
it! ‘’I have made it, I am directing my
own company that makes a few million,
married to a beautiful woman, living at
our place and expecting a baby,” he said.
VISION
The ultimate goal of Lion Tutoring is
to expand to other African countries
36 MorataBW March 2021

LOCAL SUCCESS |MBW
and Kgathola hopes that in 10 years their tutoring app
will be in everyone’s mobile sets. He however said hard
work does not stop at anything, saying some tend to be
complacent when good seasons come with more fortune.
“Our need to continuously get better sets us apart from
other companies. For us, it is all about how we teach our
students better, apply modernized techniques of tutoring,
reach other countries and how we tutor students with
special needs. Different students have different needs so
we do not tutor our students with the same style. Lion
tutoring is customer-obsessed,” said Kgathola.
When quizzed whether he has any intentions to
diversify his business, Kgathola said he only wants to be
focused on one thing before he can think of anything else.
“I believe in focusing on one thing at a time, so I don’t
have any investment other than Lion tutoring. I don’t want
to be a jack of all trades and master of none. I see other
people managing four or five companies and doing very
well but I want to grow Lion Tutoring to a certain capacity
then maybe diversify, who knows?” Kgathola.
Businesses locally and internationally have suffered
as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, Kgathola said they
were not spared. The interaction was barred and other
regulations would hamper the tutoring business. But
Kgathola managed to devise a plan. He said they came up
with an online platform that acts as an uber for tutors and
serves as an e-commerce tool.
“Because of that, we ended up even having students as
far as Canada, the system allows international students to
get services where they are and pay online,” he said.
Kgathola also added that they reduced their physical
presence and are taking advantage of the industrial
revolution. Like other big brands which only have stores
on Instagram and the likes, Lion Tutoring has decided to
take the same route as they believe it will enable them
to penetrate the global market. When it comes to taking
the brand and services to the people, Lion Tutoring has
always been advertising through ‘word of mouth’ and
social media.
CHALLENGES
Before Covid-19 challenges, like any other entrepreneur,
Khathola has had his high and lows. “The lowest moment
would always be when you start up and have to convince
a lot of people; the clients, people to work for you and
bankers to give you credit. It is the lowest because you
start from absolutely nothing,” he said.
The other big challenge is to manage people, Khathola
has his plate full with managing 300 people and trying
to motivate them daily. It becomes another added task
as he manages another branch which is far and outside
Botswana borders.
‘’There are times we even think of quitting. It is like
when you are running and you begin to feel your lungs
There are times we even think of quitting. It is like when you are running and
you begin to feel your lungs collapsing, lactic acid building up but you know
that you got to push in order to get the beautiful trophies and medals. Usain
Bolt probably feels the same way when he is running. I have felt like quitting
before but I motivated myself like in the bible. It says David encouraged
himself. After losing a battle, it is important to keep on keeping on.
March 2021 MorataBW
37

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these other
things will be added unto you.
Favourite Quote - Matthew 6:33
2015
P289 000
2017
P600 000
2019
P3.8 Million
collapsing, lactic acid building up
but you know that you got to push
in order to get the beautiful trophies
and medals. Usain Bolt probably feels
the same way when he is running.
I have felt like quitting before but I
motivated myself like in the bible, it
says David encouraged himself. After
losing a battle, it is important to keep on
keeping on,” Khathola. But he has learnt
that entrepreneurship is about taking
chances and risks.
Khathola encourages an aspiring
entrepreneur to: ‘’Keep focused; don’t
let the troubles of the world distract
you. Right now we have the covid-19
troubles, politics, the government
increasing taxes and tariffs and things
like crime. But at the end of the day,
if you are focused you will achieve
everything.”
In conclusion, Khathola shares
Matthew 6:33 as his favourite quote.
The scripture reads, “Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these other things will be added
unto you.” MBW
KEY LESSONS LEARNT
• Start Small – not having enough funds should not stop you
from starting your dream business, start with the little you
have and grow the business.
• Customers are your biggest investors, take care of them and
treat each as if they are royalty and your business will grow
quickly.
• Aim to be the best at whatever you do and you will reap the
rewards.
• Focus on one thing at a time – while growing your business,
focus on it alone and grow it into a big business before you
can start looking into other businesses.
• Embrace failures – after experiencing big failures in your
business, do not give up, encourage yourself and look up to
the bigger goal.
• Keep focused and do not let all the trouble happening in the
world to distract you.
38 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
CAREER
ADVICE
“The only way to do great work is
to love what you do. If you haven’t
found it yet, keep looking. Don’t
settle.”
- Steve Jobs
March 2021 MorataBW
39

SURVIVING VARSITY
The transition from high school to university is a big one, which, if not managed, can wreck one’s
academic journey. It is a make or break kind of situation.
BY OTENG KGOPANA
Many people describe varsity as a crucial stage where lives
the time of their life. Varsity also gives people the chance
NOTHING BEATS THE EXCITEMENT OF LEAVING
home for university. The sheer thrill of being
admitted to study your dream programme, coupled
with the prospect of freedom, away from the watchful eyes
of parents and guardians is second to none.
It is almost like one is now a free bird, after having their
wings clipped for so long.
to try new things such as; taking a puff for the first time,
sometimes getting first-ever gulp of beer, this freedom mostly
comes to on-campus student. The student-friendly on-campus
environment gives students that liberty of being free birds.
However, one must not lose focus on why they are in varsity
amidst all this. Although, there is no definite rule for surviving
varsity, here are some guidelines one can follow to make his
or her varsity experience worthwhile.
40 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash

CAREERS |MBW
The only person who largely influences their varsity
experience is the student. Work hard, play hard but don’t
let the city lights blind you from your goals!
1WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
No life experience is as fun as
varsity, one would think. However,
varsity can also be a make or
break, depending on how quickly
one adapts to the brand new
lifestyle and how they can strike a
balance between schoolwork and
leisure activities.
The varsity slogan worldwide is,
“Work hard, play hard.”
This means as a student, I
should have fun while ensuring
that I strike some balance with
schoolwork. It is easy for a
first-year student to derail and
eventually drop out of school
even in the earliest stages of the
academic stage. Failure to adapt
and being peer pressured or
confused by the beginning of one’s
city life can cause a huge strain
on one’s academic life, staying
focused is the golden rule.
2MAINTAIN A GOOD
ATTENDANCE RECORD
In addition to striking a balance
between leisure and core business,
the student has to ensure he/she
attends lectures religiously.
Derailing would start with
dodging that one lecture, then
boom, the semester ends with
nothing to show, hence the failure
to proceed to the next level. In most
cases, once a student starts bunking
lessons, it becomes difficult to stop,
so the best thing is to avoid it as
much as you can.
3BE ACTIVE IN CLASS
Let’s be real, networking is
crucial and getting good grades will
not land you the recognition you
require or even open doors for you
as in high school. Be active in class,
contribute to discussions, volunteer
for university activities. These will
grant you the recognition you need
and open doors for you.
These come handy when you
leave university. The school can land
you good opportunities; be it jobs,
prestigious internships, outstanding
references for scholarships or
progressions within the university.
Some employers ask universities
to refer graduates for open
opportunities at their companies.
How great is it to make that list?
4MAKE FRIENDS
Imagine a college campus of
about ten thousand students, and
you sit by yourself all the time, not
bothering to socialise in class. The
worst varsity experience if you ask
me! Naturally, humans are social
beings who thrive by interacting
with those around us. I mean, if you
alienate yourself from course mates,
who are you going to approach if you
need help?
Varsity can be so stressful, and
we all know how unhealthy it is to
deal with emotional turmoil alone.
However, it is crucial to choose
friends wisely, select those who will
impact you positively; encourage
studying, good spending, not those
only for partying and lavish lifestyle.
But those who make you comfortable
in your skin and push you to do
better.
5DO YOUR ASSIGNMENTS EARLY
Unlike high school, university
assignments need a lot of research to
do. For this, you need to apply what
you learn in class with your research
to produce an applied solution.
This is when they test the depth of
a student’s understanding of the
course.
The earlier you start working on
your assignment, the better. It is
advisable to begin attending the
assignments at least a week after the
lecturer hands them. Take a week to
grasp the requirements, and seek for
clarity where you don’t understand.
February March 2021 MorataBW
41

MBW| CAREERS
Unlike high school, university
assignments need a lot of
research to do. For this, you
need to apply what you learn
in class with your research
to produce an applied
solution. This is when they
test the depth of a student’s
understanding of the core.
By the time everyone is running around
for last-minute solutions, you would
have long finished and you are making
final polishes to the assignment.
6JOIN VARSITY CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
There are many clubs and
societies in varsities; College Publicity
Committee, chess, athletics club, to
mention but a few. There are more than
enough clubs for any student out there.
Many people who are active in their
clubs or associations use the skills they
learn to succeed in the classroom and
beyond, including when they enter the
corporate world. Often, by engaging
with new people in certain groups and
clubs, they have forged networks that
are guaranteed to be useful to them
in the future as well as forming great
friendships with people that share a
lot in common with them. Varsity is a
worthwhile experience, and the only
person who largely influences their
varsity experience is the student. Work
hard, play hard but don’t let the city
lights blind you from your goals! MBW
Maintain a good class attendance record and do your assignments early to
avoid last minute panics
Make time for recreation, be it video games or some sports.
However, do not let this derail your studies
42 MorataBW March 2021
Photos by Soundtrap and Kiarash Mansouri on Unsplash

CONTENTS |MBW
MOTORING
ADVICEExtensive range of
useful information on
maintenance, how to
safeguard your car
and keep it in the best
possible condition in
Botswana.
March 2021 MorataBW
43

MBW| MOTORING ADVICE
44 MorataBW March 2021

THE
CATALYTIC
CONVERTER
THEFT
What is in the catalytic converter that
makes everyone want it; be it your
mechanic, car-wash or even the guy
tailing you!
BY TUMO MODIMOENG
THESE DAYS LEAVING YOUR CAR WITH
someone else has gotten scarier; be it your
trusted mechanic, the car wash or even
your friend. The next thing, the moment you turn
on the key, your car sounds terrible, and a deep
roar or even like a motorbike.
Found in the exhaust pipe is a precious item to
thieves known as the catalytic converter, and the
moment that you find that your vehicle sounds like
a motorbike is that it is gone.
Time to start budgeting for a new exhaust
system! Catalytic converters are a crucial part
of the exhaust system. The catalyst removes
potentially dangerous contaminants from the
exhaust gasses before discharging them into
the air; carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and
hydrocarbons. Hence reducing pollution.
March 2021 MorataBW
45

MBW| MOTORING ADVICE
Sometimes a mechanic will tell an unsuspecting
customer that their car is under performing due to
the catalytic converter blocking the exhaust.
REASON FOR THEFT
The catalytic converter does all this cleaning using
precious metals such as rhodium, platinum, and
palladium, and thieves are after these. The reason
thieves steal is that scrap yards pay well for these.
Prices range from P800 to as much as P3,000, with
SUVs fetching higher prices.
• Failing emission tests – Your car will fail emissions
tests in some countries, however, in Botswana this
isn’t a case as there are no emission tests.
• Fault code – It can trigger a fault code in your car
such as a check engine light, and you will spend
trying to figure out what could be wrong with your
vehicle.
HOW IS IT STOLEN?
The most common way for this theft in Botswana
is through mechanics. A mechanic will tell an
unsuspecting customer that their car is under
performing due to the catalytic converter blocking
the exhaust. Sometimes at the car wash, while you’ve
dashed somewhere, the boys will help themselves to
your catalytic converter. Some have reported being
followed by lunatics who offer them money for the
catalytic.
EFFECTS OF REMOVING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER
• Releases toxic gases into the air – The catalytic
converter cleans up to 90% of the harmful
gases. These do not only cause damage to the
environment but are harmful to your health if
they find a way into the vehicle.
• Annoying loud noise – The catalytic converter
muffles the loud noise coming from the car, and
without this even conversation are tough to hold
in the car.
• Loss of low-end torque
• Increased fuel consumption – Some vehicles
experience more fuel consumption - this is due
to the vehicle’s 02 sensor readings not being
correct hence causing more fuel usage.
HOW TO PREVENT CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT
• Weld the catalytic converter to the car’s frame.
• Guard your car while at the mechanic or the car
wash – Do not leave your vehicle overnight with
the mechanic, rather grab a camp chair and wait
while your vehicle is attended. Depart with your
unfinished car & return the next day. You can
also wait at the car wash whilst your car is being
attended to, that way the boys will not have time to
fiddle with your car.
• Park the car in the garage and lock it inside.
• Set your car alarm on.
• Park the car close to entrances when you are in
town.
• Ask a local garage to weld the bolts on your
catalytic converter.
• Use commercial anti-theft devices that will make
it harder to remove.
COST OF REPLACEMENT
Replacing the catalytic converter can be quite expensive
undertaking as you have to buy the whole exhaust
sytem. You cannot just walk into a shop and demand to
be sold the catalytic converter nor scrap yards.
They sell them for far much a higher price to precious
metal dealers. MBW
46 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
FICTION
Short stories from aspiring
writers in botswana, still fighting
to make their strides in the
arena.
March 2021 MorataBW
47

MBW| CONTENTS
TWO DAYS
BEFORE
CHRISTMAS
Like any child at that age, Naledi is thrilled to go to a
prom night, something she has been looking forward to.
Unfortunately, a night of high anticipation and expected
joy could end in tragedy, which was with this case when
two days before Christmas something happens and her
life would never be the same gain.
AAs soon as the taxi driver stopped the car engine
by the gate, Naledi quickly noticed that the lights
in the house were off. This was unusual, very
strange that her mother would never usually go to sleep
until she returned. She threw a glance at the digital clock
in the car, it was 23:30!
She hurried and stepped out of the passenger seat,
simultaneously minding with gentleness the long beautiful
dress she was wearing. She slowly and gently opened the
door from which hung the wreath that reminded her it
was almost time for Christmas. With a torch on the wall,
the room was instantly lit.
Her eyes surveyed the whole room, “Mom!” she called out,
but there was no response.
Before leaving for prom, Naledi had sat with her mother
in her bedroom as she dressed up. Linda, her mother,
marvelled at how fast her little girl had grown
up.
“Your father would be so proud of you!” Linda
said with a smile.
“I know mama,” Naledi responded, with a subtle
and shy smile while making a soul-searching
gaze at her mother’s reflection in the mirror.
Linda then tightened the straps of her daughter’s dress; it
was gold, glittery, off-shoulder ball-dress that had a side slit
and back straps. Naledi felt royal in that dress, it was the best
thing she had owned that year!
She pressed her thick lips together after applying nude
lipstick. She smiled, revealing the dimples on her cheeks.
“Teto will soon be here!” she hinted.
That moment her brown, almond-shaped eyes lit up at the
thought of Teto. She resembled Linda with the thin, long
face and high cheekbones. She took the last glance at the
mirror and walked out of the bedroom. Her mother came
walking slowly and with almost guided steps right behind
her, following her like a little child suspicious of a mother’s
movements! As soon as she stepped into the living room,
there was a knock at the door.
48 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

PADIMOTIA | SHORT STORY |MBW
“Teto’s here!” she screamed! She then opened the door to
let him in.
Linda could tell without doubt why her daughter was
captivated by this lad. His tenor voice echoed serenity,
coming out of his tall and dark protection and safety
assuring athletic figure. Linda gave her daughter a peck
on the cheek as she bid her farewell.
The two youngsters had known each other for the entire
high school years and they had become inseparable
since! On this last night that marked an end to high
school life, they shared their aspirations and fears about
the new life they were about to venture into. They
laughed! Sang! And danced the night away! Just after
Naledi and Teto had left, Linda pulled out her wedding
photo book from the bookshelf and began to browse
through her wedding photos. Memories of her husband
filled her mind. It had only been six months since his death
and she was still reeling in pain.
Tears slowly swamped her eye lids before uncontrollably
running down her cheeks as she never made an effort to
wipe them off.
Linda’s attention was soon diverted by a knock she heard
coming from the direction of the main door. Could Naledi
be back already? She marvelled. Without hesitation, she
opened the door. A tall, masculine figure with a concealed
face stood at the door. At a split moment, Linda could
almost feel the stranger’s sharp look pierce through her
soul. Her heart skipped but she knew it was too late to act!
The stranger aggressively pushed Linda back into the
house and uttered threats while demanding cash.
“I - I - h-a -v-e no- money in the house but-but I- can take
you to the ATM,” softly pleaded Linda whose voice was
trembling at this point, but her words were just enough to
infuriate the menacing stranger even more.
The man further pushed Linda to the bedroom where he
made her take out her handbags, remove the drawers, lift
the mattress and take out jackets from the closet, with
the hope of finding money in the house! Throughout this
ordeal, Linda scrutinized the young man through the
balaclava that covered his face; his eyes were narrow and
sunken, bushy eyebrows and thin lips and appeared to be
in his early twenties.
Realising that he was not about to get what he
demanded, he became furious and tied Linda’s hands with
a belt from one of her jackets. He moved around the house
He came back to Linda’s bedroom, uttered curses and
pulled a pillow from the top of the bed. Then smothered
Linda before vanishing into the darkness from which he
had emerged, leaving Linda’s lifeless body on the floor.
turning everything around, and hand-picked whatever was
of interest to him, with no exception to Linda’s photobook.
He came back to Linda’s bedroom, uttered curses and
pulled a pillow from the top of the bed. Then smothered
with the pillow Linda before vanishing into the darkness
from which he had emerged, leaving Linda’s lifeless body
on the floor.
After lighting up the living room, Naledi walked to the
kitchen where she poured herself a glass of water. Mom
must have been very tired that she went to bed without
waiting for me, she thought. She walked towards her
mother’s bedroom when just along the passage, her
mother’s wide-open purse caught her attention. As she
lifted her eyes from the floor, she spotted her mother’s
body a few steps away.
Her heart throbbed as she hurried to the door of her
mother’s room. The glass of water in her hand shattered
to bits as it dropped to the floor!
“Mom!” “Mom!” was the only words that pierced through
the queer silence in the house.
She hopelessly threw her body beside her mother’s,
March 2021 MorataBW
49

MBW| PADIMOTIA
ARE YOU AN ASPIRING FICTION WRITER?
sobbing as she covered her face with
trembling hands. The sound of her
weeping echoed throughout the house.
She made attempts to awaken her, but
to no avail. Now thoughts came to her
from all directions, Naledi wondered
how everything had unfolded; if her
mother had tried to fight back. As she
lay on the floor, she spotted a piece
of paper next to the bed. She dragged
herself to pick it up.
We are looking for creative writers to grace our fiction “Padi Motia”
column. MorataBW aspires to contribute to the creative industry by giving
aspiring writers a platform to showcase their talent.
Write a short story lead of 120 words; i.e., leave your story hanging to
create some suspense. The short-story that captivates the public the most
and gets the most likes will feature in our 1st issue. Thus, removing any
bias from our choice.
The message on the piece of paper
reads, “BORN ON THIS DAY, TWO
DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!”
This was the side of Linda’s life that she
had never wanted to expose. She had
neglected her son for many years whom
she had borne just two days before
Christmas two decades back. MBW
The writer will get a P500 appreciation for their story. The deadline is on
the 3rd Sunday of each month.
NB: This is only open to non-established writers.
REQUIREMENTS:
WRITER: Oratile Chaoka
BOOKS: The Girl From Next Door
AVAILABLE AT: SkyMart Botswana
BUY AT:
https://skymartbw.com/product/thegirl-from-next-door-by-oratile-chaoka/
• Like our Facebook Page
• Write a 120-word introduction to your short-story
• Use the following hashtags:
• #padimotia
• #MorataBW
• #PushaBW
50 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
ARTS &
CREATIVES
Batswana making strides in music,
painting and many other creative
arts. learn how they set themselves
apart from the rest.
March 2021 MorataBW
51

MBW| CONTENTS
What has become
a big brand called
“Maxy-Khoisan”
or “MmaGauta
ka Sebele” is a
breakthrough
that would take
one to the biblical
Old Testament
story of a young
man called David,
a heroic figure
that conquered
the odds to the
glory of his God.
52 MorataBW March 2021

MAXY-KHOISAN'S
ANALOGY OF
DEFYING ODDS
The day David the nimble Israelite lad met a Philistine giant named Goliath is
a story much talked about up to now as an analogy of defying odds, and in the
context of Maxy, it is much of a reality. BY TUMO MODIMOENG
AN UNSUSPECTING YOUNG DAVID AS USUAL
took food to his brothers who were in a
battlefield facing the powerful Philistine army
with giants like Goliath, and met a moment that would
change his life and catapult him into greatness . A giant
was mocking and insulting the Israeli army in which his
brothers served. As if that was not enough, Goliath even
insulted the God of Israel. That is when David ‘crazily’
asked to spar with the big soldier. As everyone looked
at the small figured Israelite standing against a colossal
man who had armour and javelin, David took his catapult
and swung it on the air and released it to the giant’s
head who fell to his death, rendering victory to Israel.
David was celebrated, became king along the storyline
and from his descendants came Jesus Christ.
Maxy, like with a small catapult, one day came with only her
voice as armour to the Moeding College’s 40th Anniversary.
Maxy, like with a small catapult, one day came
with only her voice as armour to the Moeding
College’s 40th Anniversary. She was not even
part of the star-studded line-up of that day which
comprised of well-known and established artists.
She was not even part of the star-studded line-up of that
day which comprised of well-known and established artists.
The event of the legendary college was graced by artists like
Franco & Afro Musica and Vomit. Among the VIP was King
March 2021 MorataBW
53

MBW| ARTS | MUSICIANS
Letsie Ⅲ from Lesotho.
Somehow a teacher at Moeding,
Motshereganyi Sefanyatso, handed
the DJ a demo of Maxy’s music.
The DJ must have wondered if
his play was boring, unknown
to him, the party was just getting
started. Sefanyatso and MmaGauta’s
friendship streamed from their shared
passion for performing arts when
they were still at school. Senyafatso
was a teacher at Moeding College and
during the school’s 40th anniversary,
he ‘launched’ Maxy’s musical career
by just shoving her into a ‘big- name’
lineup. That time, MmaGauta was
studying Fine Arts and Education
at Technikon Witwatersrand in
South Africa. Trusting Maxy’s talent,
he knew he was not going to be
disappointed. Sefanyatso had known
that Maxy has been secretly working
on her first 8-track demo album
titled Maxy-Maximum produced by
Maynard Mabatle. During the 40th
anniversary of the legendary college,
Senyafatso found it fit to give Maxy
exposure, and it all began from there.
During that historic day when
Maxy’s career was born, a lot
happened, as she narrated to this
publication. The record hit hard and
applauses erupted and questions like,
“who is this girl with such a gifted
voice?” emanated from the audience.
“Her name is Maxy, the daughter
of the cook here at Moeding,”
Sefanyatso is said to have responded
Maxy-Khoisan during one of her song recording sessions at a studio.
that time, leaving the crowd amazed. known for singing in drama shows.
The crowd got into a sing along mode Maxy’s performance was marvellous so
and everything changed as they were much that a group of Franco and Afro
swayed in the direction of Maxy’s vocal Musica invited her to perform at some
wave. Everyone wanted to see the girl music festival in Kasane that very same
behind the voice.
day. The rest is history as they always
That was the time when mobile say.
phones were a rarity. Maxy says she saw Thereafter, Maxy got into a musical
a car driving into her home, from which journey which started with the
emerged her friend Senyafatso who had inspiration of Basarwa, the earth
come to tell her about an opportunity people as she passionately calls, and
of a life time. Then, she was not even an débuted a ‘tsutsube’ dance genre album
artist back then but a theatrical singer, titled Kalahari. She was introduced
54 MorataBW March 2021

A lot of people are doing jobs they don’t like. The real
purpose is to appreciate and use your gifts to give to the
world, whether those gifts are playing beautiful music
for others to enjoy, helping friends solve problems, or
just bringing more joy into the lives of those around you.
to traditional music by her then producer,
Robert Dhaki.
“I didn’t know Sesarwa back then, but
I’d dream these songs and have someone
interpret them for me in the dream,” she said.
She alludes that it was God speaking
through her to communicate the importance
of the Khoisan people who at their time were
embroiled in a controversial relocation from
the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
INVOLVE & TRUST GOD IN WHAT YOU DO.
When Maxy met with international exposure
is the time she was commissioned to record
the late Brenda Fassie’s. ‘Hare ha Lebitla’
track after Brenda’s passing. “God is the
reason behind my recent collaborations with
South African artists; Master KG and DJ Call
Me. I don’t even have a marketing team,” they
just call me. Involve God, and he will open the
doors for you,” she said.
FIND YOUR PURPOSE.
MmaGauta says it’s crucial to find your
purpose in life and advises people to ask God
to help them find their purpose.
“A lot of people are doing jobs they don’t
like. The real purpose is to appreciate and use
your gifts to give to the world, whether those
gifts are playing beautiful music for others
to enjoy, helping friends solve problems, or
just bringing more joy into the lives of those
around you,” she said.
LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE/
TRUST YOUR INSTINCT.
A gut instinct or a hunch is a sensation that
appears quickly in consciousness without us
being fully aware of the underlying reasons
for its occurrence (noticeable enough to be
acted upon if one wishes to). MmaGauta
points out that intuition is God speaking to
us, and we should take it very seriously. She
said she uses that as guidance in her daily
life, whether it is deciding to collaborate with
another artist, or take an interview.
“O utlwe motho are pelo yame ya gana
waitse, listen to that heart,” she said.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.
“Mistakes can either build or break you; it
just depends on how you see them. Some
successful people emphasise that success is
the product of making mistakes and still going
on without losing enthusiasm,” MmaGauta
said. She added that for one to succeed, they
March 2021 MorataBW
55

MBW| ARTS | MUSICIANS
My page got hacked on the 4th of November, two days before
my birthday and I couldn’t access it as the hackers had
removed me as admin. After many tries with no success, he
suggested that we delete the page instead and create a new
one. I refused and put my trust in the Lord.
should not lose hope due to the mistakes
they make, but use them to shape their
lives and learn valuable lessons to use in
the future.
BE TRUSTWORTHY. KEEP YOUR PROMISES.
Indeed the wonders of 2020 never end,
just after securing a deal as an influencer
with Botswana’s movie streaming
platform, UPICtv the inevitable happened.
MmaGauta’s Facebook page was attacked
by hackers who then filled it with porn.
“My page got hacked on the 4th of
November 2020, two days before my
birthday and I couldn’t access it as the
hackers had removed me as admin. I then
contacted an expert to help out.
After trying so hard with no success,
he suggested that we delete the page and
create a new one, instead. I refused and
put my trust in the Lord.” Reflecting on
this, MmaGauta says that this was God
putting her in her lane.
The good thing, according to her, God is
with her, the page that got hacked is back
and with the usual huge following. MBW
Maxy-Khoisan at the Universal Music Group Studio in South Africa.
56 MorataBW March 2021

|MBW
PAINTING
OF THE MONTH
‘Can’t Hide my Face Anymore’ is an artistic expression
that depicts a glimpse into the dark world of horrors
faced by victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This
artwork should also serve as a haunting alarm for
perpetrators of GBV.
- BY NAMETSO FRANCE
March 2021 MorataBW
57

MBW| CREATIVE ARTS | PAINTING OF THE MONTH
TTimothy Dike, a full-time visual artist
from Shakawe, whose trademark Big
Tim Arts, worked with, Kept Promise, a
Non-Governmental Organization which
advocates against GBV.
As passion leads him into advocacy for
GBV, while stroking his brush on canvas
to create a portrait that is named, ‘I
Can’t Hide My Face Anymore’, he gets
into another realm of the creative and
becomes utterly poetic. The painting
interprets into poetry which reads:
“I can’t hide my face anymore, but time
tells in the opposite,
I have tried to find my path, but eyes have denied me the possible.
I am in rains and shadows of the dreamland, in solitude
As though crime I’d have committed.
My grandmother told me to behold and strong
And she’d stroll.
My hands would pray for my mercy,
And the colours of my heart and emotions would blame my shadows
gladly.
I am in my womb, where life would emerge from the ashes
Of dust and soils, where trees and birds had patches
Of history and moments of yesterday.
My heart is heavy
My past is hectic
My future is like a dove in clouds of the dark clouds,
A spark that brightens a little behind the dark.
And my head is heavy. My nerves are loosened
My womb is still fertile, I’d smile again. I’ll open my eyes
When I reach the crossroads of the loose ends.
I can’t hide my face anymore”
58 MorataBW March 2021
Image by Big Tim Arts, ‘Can’t Hide my Face Anymore’

CONTENTS |MBW
March 2021 MorataBW
59

MBW| CREATIVE ARTS
A
journey which started in 2017 with not less of
mishaps and tragedies, where Dike was left in
darkness hence hopelessness. He picked his brush
and dusted himself to the current stardom and that was after
he licked wounds of a hard terrain where he follows a path
seen as that of those who are not serious about life back then.
Timothy also said he portrays Big Tim Arts as a vibrant
visual arts brand that infuses visual-artistic skills with
indigenous and native knowledge with daily social life
experiences.
Now an established star in the brush to canvas kind of art.
Dike, if he puts his mind on it, can put any piece of ink to any
surface he deems to be suitable to paint or draw on. Now,
this is a living sign of adaptation hence survival. Dike uses art
to communicate emotions and ideas so deep for the spoken
word, but it reaches out. Dike was inspired by what he went
through in life, the pain, anguish and the sorrows that he went
When all I saw
with my eyes
was darkness,
with art, I saw
the light.
through. Dike also helps upcoming
artist realize their goals. ‘’One of my
goals is to establish a skill development
organisation which focuses on
upcoming visual artists,” he says.
Achievements
Born 24 years ago in a northern
Botswana village of Shakawe, Dike
said his greatest achievement is his work being able to speak
for itself. Being from a remote village from urban places,
Dike said when he began he lacked exposure and privilege
by artists in the city, getting opportunities now, small or big,
should be an achievement in itself.
‘’Now on I am goal aligne. Everything that I do in my career
I do it big, right and with style, hence Big Tim,” said Dike.
Like any brand, Dike’s brand struggled to get visibility and
exposure an d that did not come with less financial woes.
Luckily for Dike to have started in 2017 when the advent of
social media is seen as the aid for marketing and exposure, he
advertised himself through social media platforms.
Big Tim Arts has exhibited and showcased its visual
artworks and artistic skills in various art galleries, art
expositions in Maun and Gaborone. Dike’s brand also attended
solo exhibitions in Kasane and President’s day competitions
TOP-RIGHT: Big Tim with one of his colourful paintings.
BOTTOM-RIGHT: Customised sneakers.
- Visual Arts. He is also a regular at Chobe Picnic Sundays
(CHOPS) social setting where he showcases his artistic
prowess, experience and versatility through live painting,
art demonstrations and art lessons. Dike has also produced
artworks for individuals, corporates and families. He offered
his clientele with paintings, portraits and customized denim/
clothing and shoes. His brand Big Tim Arts also comes with
the tagline ‘’Where you meet your colourful dreams”, which he
says describes his versatile artistry. MBW
60 MorataBW March 2021

TECHNOLOGY
Google Play’s Annual Best of 2020 Awards:
Did We Grab Any?
BY TUMO MODIMOENG
NO! WE DID NOT
By ‘We’ I mean local developers
in Botswana, and neither did
any African developer grab one.
Then what’s the purpose of this article?
At least we can benchmark!
Personal development is a core mandate of MorataBW, so we dive deep
and explore Google Play’s 2020 Best Personal Growth Apps. Cheers to
happier, healthier, and productive Batswana in 2021, not forgetting
fearless developers. Africans are surely grabbing an award in 2021.
Personal growth is simply improving oneself; skills, behaviour, habits, and
varies for people depending on their needs and preferences. It may be
learning to be more polite, having a positive mind, overcoming laziness
and procrastination, improving finances, and becoming more responsible.
Five applications received an award in this section; however, we have
an honourable mention of the Best Application of 2020. In no particular
order, here they are:
Image Google Android Blog
March 2021 MorataBW
61

MBW| TECH |MOBILE APPS
Paired: Couples App | Relationship
& Marriage Quiz
Developer: Better Half Ltd.
Health & Fitness
Communication breakdown is one of
the major causes of relationship failures and
divorce. With so much tension and disagreement, how is
the relationship supposed to survive? A healthy couple
communicates and resolves their indifferences in an
amicable way.
Paired aims to help couples improve their communication.
It does this through some quizzes and tips written by the
A great app to get
closer to your partner
and learn how to have
better conversations.
world’s top relationship
experts; academics and
therapists with tons of
experience and research
in these fields. ‘Love
more. Stressless. Paired
is your guide to improve
couple communication,
stay connected, and help you build a quality relationship.
“This app is excellent in opening dialogue on aspects of the
relationship that can be misinterpreted. When you think
you know your partner, this app shows both how you are
feeling about certain aspects of your relationship. Paired
helped my wife and I get a better understanding of each
other.”
“Really good relationship app. Short, fun questions that
help you and your partner understand and appreciate each
other more. Plus some of the responses you end up giving
are genuinely funny and adorable.”
“A great app to get closer to your partner and learn how to
have better conversations. As someone who finds starting
and leading conversation difficult, this has been a life saver.”
“Effective little fun tips are daily nuggets to help focus on a
relationship. Whereas any other medium could provide the
same content, the app serves these tips in easy to consume,
convenient bite sizes. The key differentiation from other
mediums is the opportunity to compare and contrast
different point of views on relationship with a partner.
These are great source for deep relationship conversations
that can lead to constructive improvement action plans, and
some healthy disagreements at times.”
Customer Reviews:
“I think this app is great for those who really want
to learn more about their partner and those who are
dedicated to growing with their partner. The daily
conversations and quizzes help my partner and I come
up with new ideas, communicate our wants l, needs, and
concerns, and it highlights things we do well, and things
we can work on. I love that the app guides you through
the tougher conversations and through areas you could
improve on. I strongly recommend the premium version.
Well worth the $$”
62 MorataBW March 2021

Centr, by Chris Hemsworth
Loup Pty Ltd.
Health & Fitness
What’s the best way to
summarise this app, it’s a 3-in-1?
It’s a Personal trainer, chef and wellness coach in
one. Centr helps you achieve your wellness goals
through custom-tailored plans for you, meal plans
and workout plans you love. It’s all about creating a
wonderful experience towards attaining the desired
health and fitness.
Honestly the best workout app I’ve ever seen.
There are so many meals and workouts just
set out for you to follow. So much effort has
been put into this app and it is worth paying
for the membership within the app.
You’ll get workouts, diet, meditation, and fitness tips. The diet
is my favourite part. It’s low carb, plenty of food; it’s flavourful
and has plenty of variety. The workouts vary, you won’t
see the same coach every day and that keeps it interesting.
The workouts are based on functional fitness so full body
movements are a favourite and most are body weight only.
Definitely give this program a try!” Curtis Billig.
Customer Reviews:
“I’m only a week in and I’m loving the recipes,
however I’m single and live alone and find that I end
up with a lot of left over ingredients, and therefore
a lot of waste as the recipes vary wildly from day
to day, I’m going to continue and further explore to
see if I can swap things out in a way that helps me
work through my inventory of ingredients in a more
efficient manner. Haven’t got round to the workouts
yet as I’m currently injured but the workouts look
great! I’m keen to get started!” Michael.
“I love that I can look up a trainer’s sessions and see
recipes in the app. The meals are clean and lower
in carb for me and absolutely delicious. No joke!
There are also mindfulness meditation and ones for
good sleep called sleep visualizations. I love how
Centr sends me emails that are nourishment for my
wellbeing, like how to get out of a toxic relationship.
I can’t recall the exact title. Some emails link to
podcasts too. Centr membership is worth all the
money!” Christine Arms.
“Compared to other subscription fitness plans I’ve
tried this one gives the most bang for your buck.
“Honestly the best workout app I’ve ever seen. There are so
many meals and workouts just set out for you to follow. So
much effort has been
put into this app and
it is worth paying for
the membership within
the app. 10/10 would
recommend. I’ve never
been more committed to
follow a workout or meal
plan before using this.
All the hard/annoying
things have been done
for you.” Brandon .J. Holt.
“This has been a great
at home workout for
me and my daughter.
All of the exercises are
doable at home and
the programs keep us
on track. We have both
seen incredible results
in terms of strength and
energy level as well as weight loss. I highly recommend Centr
to anyone of any fitness level.” Melissa Riley.
March 2021 MorataBW
63

This is an excellent app! Out of all of those that I
have tried so far, this is the best app I’ve found that’s
simultaneously free while still being functional,
aesthetically pleasing, and easy to use.
easy to use layout, nothing is complicated, there is
Speekoo - Learn a new language
LearnMyLanguage
Education
so much helpful things surrounding the language
being learnt and it is wonderfully simple yet
elegant in how it helps me learn new languages.
Positively, I just can’t see any fault to this app, hard
to believe it’s free!” Bioshocq xo
They say learning a new
language is tough for
adults and should be
done when someone is young.
Want to defy the stereotype and beat the kiddos
at their game? Speekoo brings excitement and
makes it easier to learn a new language despite
the age and is currently offering 6 languages:
French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese and
Japanese.
Many refer to it as being fun and being one of the
best language learning apps.
“Two days in and I’m loving the progress. Using it
to learn French, finding similarities between French
and Spanish so it’s making it easier to follow
and retain the information. A lot of repetition
helps to get familiar with the phrases and words.
Recording function recognizes the phrases pretty
well although I’ve gotten stuck in a few phrases.
I try to change how I say it with no luck. I’m sure
it’s trying to match the pronunciation to a French
accent pronunciation.” Ernesto Lopez.
“I love this app! I am currently using it to learn
French and so far it’s fantastic. The spaced out
Customer Reviews:
“This is one of the best apps for language learner
because it’s easy to use, the layout is good
including, not to mentioning the learning style
is a mixture of verbs, grammar and listening
(training your ears) and I can’t forget the
historical facts and travel destination videos
when you advance to the next sections. This style
of learning stuck with me I highly recommend
this language learning app for anyone who wants
to travel to Spain, Mexico and South America...
you will not be disappointed.” Antonio Lupe-H.
repetitive-ness of the teaching really helps me to
retain the information. There seems to be more and
more levels to be downloaded. There are no ads!
Thank you for making such a slick app and making
it for free!” Levi.
“This is an excellent app! Out of all of those
that I have tried so far, this is the best app I’ve
found that’s simultaneously free while still being
functional, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to use.
Speekoo gives you quick lessons that are easy to
understand and remember, especially since the app
builds on what you learned in previous lessons.
All around, I think it’s an excellent app (although
“Overall fantastic. This app is everything I look
for when I am looking to learn a new language,
I do wish you could see the hiragana in japanese
instead if you so wished).” Annalise Wedewer.
64 MorataBW March 2021

ADVERTISE
CONTENTS |MBW
HERE
(+267) 73-454-701
info@moratabw.com
Jumprope: How-to Videos
Jumprope
Video Players & Editors
Jumprope makes it easier to create
insightful videos without any editing;
be it make-up, recipes or fitness tutorials.
And you can share these on any social
media platform.
Customer Reviews:
“The Jumprope experience for consumers
is abundant, varied and lively thanks to
a platform that encourages and enables
maker/doers to easily create and deliver
content using concise, incremental,
achievable steps. Maker/doers are able
to shoot, import, edit, add in-app royalty
free music (or not), effectively monetize (if
so desired) and export to multiple social
media platforms all in one app. Jumprope
is a win/win.” Corinna Fritz
experience all kinds of short videos and clips on very useful
information. Thus far I have used it for exercise videos that
have been extremely useful in offering me a wide variety of
exercises.” Kevin Eldridge
“Exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve
always wondered if what I was cooking
with supposed to be looking the way
it did in the process and now I know
if it’s being done correctly. Thank you
Jumprope.” Cathy Lou
“Lots of great and useful tips on a
bunch of different topics I am diggin
the step-by-step toutorials on different
styles and designs of nail art.” Aira
Bella Lei Luna.
“Finally, an excellent app. that’s super
easy to understand and search. Thank
you Geniuses!!”
Ronnie Molina
“This app is a wonderful way to
March 2021 MorataBW
65

MBW| TECH |MOBILE APPS
Intellect: Create a Better You
The Intellect Company
Health & Fitness
Intellect was developed by a team of
world-renowned behavioural experts
and psychologists. The App aspires to help users
improve their personal struggles, traits, habits
and behaviours, and help them get rid of negative
attributes such as procrastination, low self-esteem
and anxiety.
Customer Reviews:
“When I first started this app, to be honest i didn’t
expect much at all, because there are a lot of app
out there that pretend to give you the same, but
none of them does or ever will, but
Intellect is something else. I learned
to understand myself more, and to
manage more thing’s in me then I ever
did, and also Intellect made me realize
my true feelings when I couldn’t really
understand myself. Thank you so much
for the effort and for the great app.”
YONKO SASSI.
“Pretty nice and simple app. And it takes 5min
for each “check in”. It constantly reminds you that
you’re a human and it’s okay to feel the way you
feel. I just started but so far I’m enjoying doing
a check in during my breaks or in the morning.
I’m calmer and every time I feel stress coming up,
I know that this will pass and that stressing out
won’t make it go quicker.” M G.
“So far, so good. Seems to be ad-free as of Jan 2,
2021, and I have to say that this is vital. Intrusive
ads would kill this app. There is nothing groundbreaking
about what it tells you, but the questions,
I love this app! I’ve tried
so many other apps for
mindfulness and enhancing
productivity but this has
to be my favourite one.
check-ins, and advice are well laid-out and well-presented
for increasing self-awareness. It is actually helpful to me,
and pleasant to use. This can really replace some very basic
counseling sessions if you’re looking for self-improvement
help. But please fix typos.”
May Shue
“Really surprised by this app as I’ve tried
others and this is by far the best. I find
the personality profile (using the big
5) to be accurate. I’ve started the selfesteem
module and it’s much deeper than I
anticipated and encourages you to look at past experiences
as well as current. I’m really interested to see the rest of
the modules also. The interface is great, super clean and
non-intrusive, really streamlined and easy to use.” Erin
Jones.
“I love this app! I’ve tried so many other apps for
mindfulness and enhancing productivity but this has to
be my favourite one. Each learning path is well explained
and the Check-ins make sure that you are applying it all.
There’s even the short rescue that helps you stop and
calmly go through your thoughts and feelings, whatever
that may be. If you bullet Journal and never use your habit
tracker, this is the best alternative. I really recommend this
and I hope more people try this soon!” Ivy Showers.
66 MorataBW March 2021

is exactly why I need the help sleeping!” Jacki Miller
Hathaway
BEST APP OF 2020
Loóna: Bedtime Calm & Relax
Loona Inc.
Health & Fitness
Loóna helps you get in the right
mood for sleep after a hectic
and stressful day. This can
become quite handy for busy
people such as entrepreneurs and professionals.
It’s quite hard to get some sleep after a hectic day, right?
Loóna taps into your emotions and helps you get in the
right mood for sleep by eliminating all those negative
factors that make it hard to sleep.
Customer Reviews:
“This app is almost perfect. There were glitches that
removed my progress, which was really sad, and not
being able to skip certain sleepscapes on the return
was irritating (the episodes of ‘move to the west’ are a
painful thing for me to sit through). It also seems like
certain sleepscapes are having color glitches. Other
Whoever came up with
this app is a genius.
I have not come across
anything more relaxing
and calming as this.
After finishing the first
one the stress was
almost completely
gone.
than that, it’s the absolute
best tool I’ve found for
relaxing at the end of the
day. Most of the stories and
narrations are terrific. Keep
up the great work guys.”
Zachary Nantz
“A wonderful idea and a
lot of fun. I loved the first
night, and was looking
forward to another.
Unfortunately, after the 24hr timer was up, it insisted I
sign up for the free week trial that would automatically
sign up for the annual if I missed removing... a little sad I
can’t do more, but worrying about missing trials ending
“Honestly, I love this app. I’ve been having trouble
sleeping, and while I can’t say I’m miraculously sleeping,
it does help. I love the stories and the art and the music.
If I had any suggestions it would be: I wish I could skip
sleep stories (there are some that make me cry, like the
homecoming in Brooklyn one. I’m just a big softy I guess)
and I wish there were more soundscapes that were more
generic, I suppose? Just like a rain or a forest or a beach.
But really it’s honestly a delight” Amanda C
“Whoever came up with this app is a genius. I have not
come across anything more relaxing and calming as
this. After finishing the first one the stress was almost
completely gone. The colors, the way they flow onto the
screen combined with the music and narration is magical.
The bits of animation are just the right touch. I only gave
it 4 stars though because there is at least one little bug. I
couldn’t open it the second night.” Lynne Smith
March 2021 MorataBW
67

KEY NOTES
FOR DEVELOPERS
Benchmarking from these Google Play award winners, we can draw
the following key points to consider for creating a killer mobile
application.
• BE DIFFERENT, CREATE A NEW USER EXPERIENCE
Unique things are interesting, strive to bring a new experience
with your application. Do tons of research and read user
reviews of similar apps to find out what people like and wish to
be improved.
• EASE OF USE
Make your application easy to use and navigate.
• BRING FUN TO BORING STUFF
Some things are good but quite tiring to do, add the fun factor
to that tedious stuff and your app will simply skyrocket with
downloads.
• USER CONTROL & CUSTOMISATION
If your application provides some training and learning,
take into consideration that people learn at a different pace.
Preferences differ as well, and some will want to spend more
on some learns than others. As seen in these winners’ apps, this
adds flavour to the application.
68 MorataBW March 2021

OPINION | TECH |MBW
OPINION
SIGNAL vs TELEGRAM
I’ve been looking into this so here’s a
summary.
The problem with WhatsApp was,
even though, your messages are endto-end
encrypted (jumbled up so no
one can read them), WhatsApp will
still be able to see your messages in
plain-text on their servers and share
them with Facebook, or even worse
interested government parties. This
includes your health data.
Example: You tell your friend you
have a painful knee on WhatsApp,
then you get on Facebook and see a
knee brace advert from Wish.
Telegram
Company:
Telegram FZ-LLC
This app has endto-end
encryption
also, but just like WhatsApp, your
texts and media are not encrypted
on their servers. So they too can see
your messages and leverage on them,
should they choose to do so.
I’m also extremely concerned about
the “people near you” feature on the
app, which shows you, EVERYONE,
with Telegram within about a 5km
radius around you. You can opt-out
of this feature, They also have some
other great features though like
Channels and bots.
Signal Private
Messenger
Company: Signal
Foundation
Provides end-to-end
encryption and they also worked
hard to encrypt your meta-data at
their servers. So even they can’t see
what you sent. The app also has
self-destructive messages. You can
send me a message and instruct the
app to permanently delete it from
my phone 3 seconds after I open it.
CONCLUSION
Telegram has some insane
features. It’s really like WhatsApp
on steroids. But if you’re leaving
WhatsApp for 100% privacy, then
you’re not getting it there.
There’s no guarantee your
government won’t weasel its way
into their pants to get your texts.
So Signal is our best bet, in terms
of privacy. I mean, even Edward
Snowden (the NSA whistleblower)
uses it. If you don’t know who that
is, then just trust me. I’m using
anything that guy is using.
AMO QUPATION MASI is an IT
professional with a degree in
Computer Systems Engineering.
He is also the co-founder of
Viva Orginica, a business that
grows organic fertilisers and
Qupation.
Click on the icons below to
visit the social media pages of
Viva Organica and Qupation.
March 2021 MorataBW
69

Reviving the Local
Bread & Confectionery
Industry
A
STATEMENT FROM THE Ministry
of Investment, Trade and Industry
reads. “All eligible businesses
are encouraged to take advantage of this
Instrument and supply the local market.”
The Statutory Instrument No. 102 of
2020 was published in the Government
Gazette dated 14th August 2020 with the
purpose to stimulate the establishment and
development of micro, small, medium and
large enterprises operating the bread and
confectionary services.
Upon following up on the announcement
made by the Minister, Lameck Nthekela,
a secretary at the Ministry of Trade,
Investment and Industries Economic
Diversification Drive Department said,
the reservation is meant to promote the
establishment and expansion of enterprises
within the bread and biscuit confectionery
sector to produce for the domestic and
regional markets. As such, local produce
from these enterprises is expected to find
a market in the retail sector.
70 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Irina on Unsplash

All eligible businesses are encouraged
to take advantage of this Instrument
and supply the local market.
CONTENTS |MBW
March 2021 MorataBW
71

MBW| CONTENTS
Looking To Start Your Own Bakery?
So you want to go get your hands muddy with bread flour or just get in it for business? Here are
a few pointers. BY MOSA BOKAMOSO MOHURUTSHANE
BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR
requires more determination than
anything else. If you had been an eight
to five job employee, are you aware that
you`re switching to a 5 am to probably
8 pm, or even to midnight shift?
Are you stepping into business for
pleasure, as a side hustle, or simply
filling up a gap in the market? Being
your own is no walk in the park.
Do you trust yourself enough to get
dirty in the kitchen on a daily? Are
you prepared for sleepless nights and
spending day time on your toes getting
pastries ready?
Do you have well-practised recipes
of cakes, cupcakes, loaves, biscuits and
other confectionery products? If so,
one stride done down the line is sorted.
Another thing is to decide the type of
bakery you want to open and what sort
of products you want to make.
First things first; before thinking of
the profit to be made, the smiles you will
bring to your customers` faces. Script a
business plan, submitting your business
name to the registrar of companies,
72 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Taylor Groteon Unsplash

BAKING | LOCAL INDUSTY |MBW
Are you aware that you`re switching to a 5am to
probably 8pm, or even to midnight shift?
open a business bank account, acquire a business license
to operate legally.
1The Business Plan
Helps you detail everything you need to launch a
business, such as the Market Plan, Market and Revenue
Plan, Goods and Services, Market Research and Financial
Plan and Estimates. It also helps with sourcing funding
from the investors. In the case of us here in Botswana,
organizations such as the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA)
provide training to budding entrepreneurs in writing
business strategies, business management systems and
also in developing their skills.
2Bakery Requirements
Start-up capital - this could be personal savings,
from an investor, or a bank loan or grant from
organisations such as CEDA.
Baking skills - very important to get the ball rolling,
one`s skilful hands in culinary arts is vital in the baking
business.
Industrial or home baking equipment - depending
on how small or big one starts, the right equipment and
utensils are very much needed. Ordinary pots will not
do the trick. You need an Industrial Oven, dough mixer,
fondant machine, measuring cups, scale, and cutlery. Big
industrial ovens are the most expensive of all, costing
between P10,000 and P15,000.
Operational space - this could be rented space or better
if one owns it as it will ease the cost of rent especially
before the business makes enough profits.
3Trading license
You nearest council office will help you with a
trading license. To acquire this, submit a copy of your
certified Omang (Identity card), the title deed of operational
land, all company documents to the Commercial office, at
your area District Council Office.
Next is a referral to the Physical Planning office, where
they will go and assess if the area is suitable for business.
This must be in a commercial or industrial area, and they will
issue a report called the zoning report.
Book for inspection - the public health officers will assess
the building you are going to operate in for any hazards, also
ensure that the stuff you are hiring is ensured in case of any
work injury. If you passed the inspection, then you are good
to go. This comes at a cost of P700, with P500 being the
license fee and P200 as application fee.
ByLaw - after getting the license, ByLaw inspects the
business to ensure that they are operating according to as
stipulated in the license. They also inspect during operation.
For instance, a business listed as a bakery should not be
found selling groceries.
4Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Before you open your bakery to the public, conduct
some marketing and advertising.
Conduct market research: This is detailed information about
your market, demographics, who your potential customers
are, the competitors and gap in the market you can fill. You
need to know who your target market is so that you can
come up with suitable strategies for selling your products.
Write a market analysis: Market analysis is a detailed
review of the market. Like demographics, customers, the
competitors and gap in the market you can fill. You need to
know who your target market is so that you can come up
with suitable strategies for selling your products. You review
the demographics and the buying power of the community,
the buying habits.
Set goals for your marketing campaign: Make goals that
March 2021 MorataBW
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MBW| LOCAL INDUSTRY | BAKING
are realistic and easy to achieve like the number of sales
and the number of social media followers. Take into
account that your business will have to gain some traction
before it can achieve long-term goals.
5 Advertising
Decide how you want to advertise your business:
There are many ways you can advertise your bakery and
each has its own benefits. Signage like billboards is best
fit for use in densely populated areas such as cities. You
may even opt for traditional methods such as flyers and
newspapers.
Online advertising
Have a social media page - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
and WhatsApp business. Because a bakery is the type of
business that one makes products and once they are sold
there will not be any evidence, posting pictures of the
products made will help you attract more customers. Post
these as often as possible, and do ask for a written review
of your products from the customers, or better, if they are
techno savvy and not shy, they can make a video of their
tasting session and review on the products. Sponsored
adverts are one of the many ways to get your product
to the consumer. These adverts pop up everywhere on
the internet, and they are visibly annoying such that the
consumer cannot miss them.
Word of mouth advertising
This one is not only dependent on the taste, your baking
skills nor the garnishing, but also the customers service
offered to those who bought from your baking outlet. No
matter how tasty the pastry could be, should the service be
bad, customers might hesitate to go back and buy more, and
even refer others to your outlet.
Handing out flyers
Ask a graphic designer to skillfully design flyers for you
to hand out to the neighbours or to the general public at a
nearby mall. This is another way of sending out a word on
the new bakery in town.
Launch party/ tasting session
A successful grand opening can get your new bakery off
to a good start and help create some loyal customers.
Advertise your grand opening to create a buzz and ensure
that customers know when your bakery is opening.Offer
discounts and specials at the grand opening session. For
instance, offer a discount for the first 100 people to walk in.
Another tip is to give customers who order more cupcakes
one cupcake for free. Say, an order of 50 cupcakes, one gets
10 more on the house. Also, offer free tasting at the event to
lure customers to buying, and this should be products that
you intend to sell. This would create a buzz around and get
more customers flocking to your outlet.
The last tip is to send invites to big potential clients such
as schools, organisations that hold Christmas parties to the
event so they don’t think twice in ordering your products
elsewhere when they host events. MBW
74 MorataBW March 2021

Many a small thing has been made
large by the right kind of advertising.
- Mark Twain
CONTENTS |MBW
GET
NOTICED
ADVERTISE
HERE
(+267) 73-454-701
info@moratabw.com
March 2021 MorataBW
75

CHOOSING
A BAKERY
MODEL
THE FIRST DECISION YOU HAVE
to make before venturing into the
bakery industry is to settle on the type
of bakery, whether you want a retail
bakery or a wholesale bakery. This is
the most important aspect on which
other decisions can be made, such
as financing, location and business
strategies. Retail bakeries have a counter
to sell to customers and a production
kitchen, whilst wholesale bakeries only
have a production kitchen.
WHOLESALE BAKERIES
These sell to other businesses like
supermarkets, restaurants and
distributors in bulk for resale.
Advantages
• Large orders.
• No need for over the counter
service or front end.
• Flexible on location, you don’t
need to set them up in busy
places like shopping malls.
RETAIL BAKERIES
Sell directly to the customers in a
shop setup with no middle-man;
distributors or resellers.
Advantages
• Personal interaction with
customers.
• Has lower start-up costs.
• Allows for customised for the
front of shop designs.
BAKERY SERVICE STYLE
After choosing the type of bakery, you
have to choose the style in which you
are going to serve your products to the
customers.
Counter Service Bakery
These have a storefront for selling to
customers and a back for production
but no sitting or dining area. Customers
walk in to buy and eat elsewhere.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
• Rely on large businesses for
orders.
• Need employees to sell to the
customers.
• Lower charge per unit as
clients will be buying in bulk
for resale.
•
•
Rely on daily sales for income.
High overhead (running) costs
like rent, employee uniforms etc.
• High start-up costs to buy
specialised equipment needed
to produce items in large
scales.
• Limited location choices, you
need to set up the bakery in a
busy place to make money.
Comparison between a Wholesale and a Retail Bakery
Bakery Food Truck
Food trucks are not popular in
Botswana; instead, we often use trailers
as mobile kitchens. Imagine this as a
mobile kitchen that sells baked goods,
be it pies, doughnuts, cake slices etc.
But, you have to prepare the goods
elsewhere and only use the trailer for
storing and selling. However, you can
equip the trailer with all the necessary
equipment to bake in the house, but
76 MorataBW March 2021
Photo by Julia Hammond on Unsplash

BAKING | LOCAL INDUSTY |MBW
these are expensive. You can either bake
at home or rent an equipped kitchen
to prepare the goods. The distinct
advantage of this is that you have the
freedom to change the location at will.
Home Bakery
These are perfect for starting with
limited capital. You may use your
kitchen or rent a house to prepare the
goods. But, before you start, enquire if
there are any permits required in your
area from the local council. You also
have to consider how you will store and
deliver the goods fresh to the customers.
Are you going to do deliveries, how will
the products stay fresh during storage?
Speciality Bakery
Offer and specialise in service one kind
of product. The most popular of these
is the wedding cake shop, a bakery
that only sells wedding cakes. Here in
Botswana, we have pie shops being the
most popular; these are fast food
outlets that specialise in selling meat
pies. Speciality bakeries are flexible
as they can operate either as a retail
or wholesale setup.
There are, however, certain
qualities that are important for
you to succeed in your bakery. You
have to possess the following skills,
and mastering them will make you
stand out and pave the way for
success in your career or business.
You have to:
1Be Organised
Being organised is crucial;
you have to plan ahead of time
before beginning a baking session
and running a bakery. Have all the
ingredients and equipment you need
available. You will need to follow the
customer’s deadlines, create a safe
and clean environment.
2Be Creative
Baking is an art, and you have
to be innovative to stand out in
this intensely competitive world.
Offer consumers irresistible treats
and a distinct taste that they will
never forget. Creativity may be the
decoration of cakes, the flavouring,
and the production of desirable treats
is essential.
3Pay Attention to Detail
Precise proportions are key, skip
an ingredient or apply too much or
too little to it, and you have spoiled
the entire flavour of the product. You
must strictly obey the instructions
and also cook at the appropriate
temperature.
4Be Patient
Most of the steps in baking take
time like waiting for the bread to rise.
You have to be patient enough to follow
all the steps as required and not skip a
single step or rush them through.
5Communicate Effectively
Good communication is critical to
the success of a business. You ought
to have effective dispute mediation
techniques, either in-house or with
clients. A happier customer means more
purchases, and they may recommend
your bakery to others. Communication is
not only relevant when communicating
with clients; it is also advisable to
have a direct communication line in
the kitchen. Thus helping things run
smoothly without unnecessary delays.
Rapelang of Raps Kitchen crafting a
cake. Creativity is crucial in baking.
March 2021 MorataBW
77

MBW| CONTENTS
Stopping advertising to
save money is like stopping
your watch to save time.
- Henry Ford
ET
OTICED.
DVERTISE
ERE.
(+267) 73-454-701
info@moratabw.com
78 MorataBW March 2021

HOME-BREWED
BEST BAKERS:
CONSUMERS’ CHOICE
BY MOSA BOKAMOSO MOHURUTSHANE
A
CAKE OFTEN SYMBOLISES A
celebration in life; it may be a
birthday, a wedding, graduation
or any other celebration. It adds
“Uoomff!” energy to the ceremony after
a meal.
Have you ever seen children’s faces at
a party when it’s time to cut the cake?
Happiness is almost tangible in their
expressions.
Speak about how adults, too, make
a fuss about the presence of a cake at
their ceremony?
Ask any woman who is about to tie
the knot about their wish list for the
wedding ceremony, on top of the list is
the cake.
So why is that?
The “Uuoomff!” energy I spoke about.
Should you need to feed your cravings
and sweeten the moment, here are the
top cake makers making waves in the
city.
Chosen by consumers on a social
media poll we ran, this not only means
they make tasty goodies, but their
service is also top notch.
Photo by Nordwood Themes on Unsplash
March 2021 MorataBW
79

MBW| CONTENTS
LOUNGOLAME ‘LOLO’ MODIKWE
FOUNDER: BIENE’S SWEET TREATS
Take us on your journey. How did it
all begin? What inspired you to start
your company?
I started baking in 2016 by helping my
mother with baking for the family, and
this developed into a passion. There is a
YouTuber also who influences all of this,
and she is the one who triggered this. I
started seeing myself at the top, I would
spend days picturing myself like her,
and that’s when I fully got into baking
and started trying things out.
What was your dream when you
started the bakery? And how far
away are you from achieving the air
if not achieved?
When I first got into the pastry business,
I did have a dream to open my place.
I finally got an opportunity to manage
and run a small shop, however, the
bakery was where there was no market
and the sales were going down each
week. Then February 2020, I started
pushing to have space where I felt
there was a market. Unfortunately,
Covid-19 shuttered the plans I had.
What was the lowest moment in your
journey?
For me, it was at a point where I had no
orders at all, and it was tough.
Are there any other rejections you
faced on your way up building your
brand. How did you go around those?
Rejection is part of entrepreneurship.
It’s part of growth. I was told “NO”
many times to a point I would want to
go home and scream. I would get lost
in the overwhelming feeling of loss.
But from there, I would pat myself on
the shoulder and tell myself I will use
rejection to fuel my motivation, and that
has kept me going.
Have you ever thought of quitting?
What kept you going? Is there any
risk you took?
Business is not a walk in the park.
Sometimes it gets tough, and I’d want to
quit. There was a time when there were
no sales at all, and I wondered if this
was what I wanted. But I knew it
is what my calling; I knew I had
to push this for my daughter. I
knew I had to build the legacy
for her. She is the reason why I
am into build my company, even
if it takes years. I know I will get
there no matter what. Business
is also about taking risks.
Looking back at your journey,
what advice would you give to
a young Lolo?
If you want something, then
go for it. If you can think of it,
then you can do it. Business is never
easy, it’s not for the faint-hearted,
but if you know what you want, you
will strive for that. You should trust
yourself enough to push hard even
when it’s hard but above all PRAY,
WAIT and LET GOD IN.
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CONTENTS |MBW
Collection of Lolo’s crafts
Far-left: Custom-made cake
Middle: Wedding cake
Far-Right: Kiddies’ cake
March 2021 MorataBW
81

MBW| HOME-BREWED
Taste the difference
Take us on your journey. How did it all
begin? What inspired you to start your
company?
My love for food (and the kitchen) started
at a very young age when I used to bake
scones and brew gemere for the extended
family during the Christmas holidays. I
had gained the skills from my Home Economics class in Junior
Secondary School. I also went on to do Food and Nutrition at
Senior School and obtained an A*, and it only followed that my
“calling” is in the kitchen. The baker in me was born then. Later
on, I opened up a Facebook page and put up a few pictures of
my work (mostly meals at that time). The page got quite several
likes and appealing comments.
My aim was to offer something different and exceptional,
being mindful of quality as well as freshness. Something
better than my competitors, I wanted my customers to talk
about the brand that is Raps Kitchen and spread a good
word of mouth out there. I dream to open up a state of the
art kitchen (restaurant), with a bakery section, we are not
there yet.
What was your dream when you started the bakery?
And how far away are you from achieving the air if not
achieved?
What was the lowest moment in your journey?
My lowest point would be during the COVID-19 lockdown,
and the business hit rock bottom. Sales went down, for
82 MorataBW March 2021

some time, sales stopped, there was
no activity. I even had to return the
deposits for some of my customers.
Are there any other rejections you
faced on your way up building your
brand. How did you go around
those?
Yes, there have been rejections. I
remember when I started selling.
I would go door to door trying to
advertise myself. Some people would
not readily accept me into their
spaces. Some looked at me with pity
wondering if everything is alright.
Some would buy out of feeling
sorry for me, but many were very
encouraging. Over time when the
brand started growing, I saw a great
turn around in people’s mindsets.
People now trust the brand.
Have you ever thought of quitting?
Not really, honestly. This has been my
dream since a long time ago, and now
that I see it rising, it has given me
more urge to continue to
develop and expand the
business. The passion and
the love I have for what I
do drives me.
What has been your
biggest moment so far
in the business?
I won a tender to cater to
the business expo. That was big, and it
was a dream come true for me.
What challenges do you face
currently, and how do you overcome
them?
Raps Kitchen is currently operating from
home. Some customers would want to
collect orders at odd hours of the day,
and this poses a risk to my household’s
safety. Baking from home also limits
production, due to little storage area.
Balancing house chores with business
activities is also a challenge. I have
decided to do baking in the evening
when the kids are asleep, and all the
house chores are complete.
What are your future plans for the
brand?
We plan to expand the kitchen by
opening a sit-in restaurant. This will
help us serve walk-in customers,
whether they come in for the fresh
bread or hot meals.
Looking back at your journey of
building the Raps Kitchen brand,
what advice would you give to a
young you.
Whatever you want to do with your
I ordered a cake for my daughter’s birthday
cake. She went out of her way to make sure
everything was top notch, by far the best I’ve
had so far. Very lovely gift packages for all
special occasions, decor and they also do
labelled balloons for all occasions. And the
distance is not a barrier for them because I
ordered everything for my daughter whilst in
Gaborone and she made sure she delivered.
hands, go ahead and do it, especially
if it is something that can earn you
an income. Do not copy what the next
person is doing. Be different, and give
your product a cutting edge. Make it
appealing and give it ‘that thing’, so that
it stands out from your competitors’.
Another thing is, belief in yourself, no
one is going to believe in you unless you
do. Trust that you can do it. Whatever
your mind thinks you can do, your
hands can do. My motto is, YES YOU
CAN.
- Raps Customer
MBW
RAPELANG MOREMI
FOUNDER: RAPS KITCHEN
March 2021 MorataBW
83

MBW| CONTENTS
BORN OUT OF
ADVERSITY: LEN BAKERIES
Life has a way of bringing out the best in us,
especially when we face adversities. It is upon an
individual to climb up the ladder or fall as life pulls
one through the mud. As they say, when life throws
lemons at you, make lemonade. The birth of Len
Bakeries in Gaborone is the lemonade Goitseone
Lenyatso founded.
What brought you to start Len Bakeries?
We started baking in 2013 after I lost my
firstborn son. My close friend, Mrs Kizika,
brought us a delicious carrot cake. I then asked
her for the recipe to try out baking for family and
friends. And with this, I developed some passion
for baking.
Where did you get the start-up capital?
Len Bakeries is self-funded. But for a start-up,
one needs about a couple of hundreds
or thousands Pulas, because humble
beginnings go a long way. Buying a
few ingredients to bake for a small
party does bring profit to get one
started. Digging funds from one`s
pocket are the push factor for growth.
As the business grows, one can then
consider getting capital from local financiers.
What is the best way for one to make it in a bakery
business?
To start a bakery business, have a passion for baking, it
takes time and commitment to make it. Do not get into
it for money, there are times you may incur loses, but
what will keep you going is the love for baking. Bring
something different to the market, countless people bake,
and make the same thing, do market research and fill the
gaps in the industry. If you like, come up with a brand of
84 MorataBW March 2021

HOME-BREWED |MBW
your products and services seriously,
and take care of your customers to
create a regular client base. This has
worked so hard for my company.
Caramel buttercream: comes in five
flavours.
pastry to your name.
Looking at the daily sales, between
homemade bread and one bought
from the shop, which one is mostly
on demand?
The community prefers home-made
cakes. Home-made cakes have an
original taste of ingredients, with no
preservatives and other industrial
ingredients used in commercial cakes.
It gives the bread that fresh taste like
no other.
What is the best way to advertise a
bakery business?
The word of mouth or referrals
through happy clients are the best
form of advertising a business. So take
What are the everyday challenges
of this business, and how do you
overcome them?
The biggest challenge in this business
is to find the best place of service at
a fair cost. Commercial room rental
in Gaborone is expensive. We began
working from the home garage
to address this obstacle. Another
challenge is sourcing ingredients.
Locals add big markups and resell
ingredients expensive to make
excessive profits. Production is also
slow due to hiked machinery prices,
so we resort to sources outside the
country, such as South Africa and
China.
Where can we find Len Bakeries
delights?
We introduced to the local market
a lerotse cake and morula loaf. We
manufacture and sell in retail shops.
Len Bakeries buttercream that comes
in five different flavours, cakes and
cupcakes can be found in several local
supermarkets, including Squaremart
and Trans Cash & Carry. MBW
Blackforest cake premix.
GOITSEONE LENYATSO
FOUNDER: LEN BAKERIES
March 2021 MorataBW
85

MBW| CONTENTS
A POSITIVE
MINDSET
OPENS NEW
OPPORTUNITIES,
SPREAD YOUR
WINGS
86 MorataBW March 2021

CONTENTS |MBW
87
Photo
March
by
2021
Sunyu
MorataBW
on Unsplash

MORATABW MAGAZINE
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