The Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme: Inspiring A More Resilient and Dexterous Tourism Entrepreneurs
Corporate
It is said that challenging times bring to life the resilience of the human spirit and some of the most important innovations. The advent of COVID-19 brought tremendous challenges to the global economy, and the tourism sector was not spared.
It is during this period, that the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme was born. Ms. Tshepiso Mganga upon realising the need for tourism operators to get back on track after the slump leveraged her network to assemble a team of professionals across the various disciplines that are critical for the operation of a tourism enterprise. The programme has to date mentored and coached over 70 tourism and hospitality enterprises in Botswana. The programme imparts practical skills to aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to venture into the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as tourism businesses that are already in operation including but not limited to hotels, lodges, guest houses, mobile safari operators, travel agents, tour operators, and travel photographers. In addition, the benefits to start-ups include the enhancement of awareness on issues such as product development and branding, while existing businesses can use insights to reposition their brands and offerings in the market. The programme covers topics such as understanding the tourism value chain, what is takes to operate lodge in remote area, importance of belonging to an association, moving from idea to action, defining target markets, business planning, financial planning, developing digital marketing strategy, branding tourism business, business insurance, customer service excellence, design & guest experiences, travel show readiness.
The bi-weekly sessions are delivered virtually by several experts and professionals within the tourism industry, with the hope that there will be more in-person sessions in the future. The 3-month programme concluded with educational tours to Chobe Game Lodge. The tour brought practical elements to the programme learning, specifically on running a sustainable facility in a remote area. The tour demonstrated the value of environmental sustainability, with the participants being sensitised on level of investment that goes into developing and running an ecotourism product, including encapsulating aspects of reduce, re-use, and recycle in relation to all inputs of running the business. The participants also got to appreciate the return on investment of ecotourism in terms of reduction of costs of operations, enhanced profitability, as well as conservation of the ecosystem. The tour was sponsored by Desert & Delta Safaris, who have been a valuable partner of the programme.
The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) is another valuable partner, and this year (2022), sponsored thirteen (13) participants to be part of the programme.
The programme is sponsored by City & Safari International, a Destination Management Company (DMC) established in 2017. City & Safari International specialises in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions, as well as luxury safari planning & bookings covering Botswana and extending to Cape Town, Livingstone, Victoria, and Namibia.
The next cohort is scheduled for 13 May to 30 July 2023. Further information will be shared on Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme Facebook and Instagram pages.
Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme
#TBCMP #TourismBusinessExcellence
Corporate
Enko Botho Celebrates Academic Excellence: Graduating Class of 2023 Marks Milestone Achievement
Enko Botho School is proud to announce and celebrate the remarkable achievements of its graduating class of 2023 which marked the school’s first ever graduation ceremony with 3 completing groups being the IGCSE, AS Levels and IBDP classes. The spectacular graduation ceremony, which was held at the Enko Botho multi-purpose hall was a joyous occasion filled with pride, heartfelt speeches, and the recognition of the remarkable accomplishments of the graduating students.
According to the Head of School, Mr Benjamin Green, this was a momentous occasion worthy of celebration as this was the first time the school had 3 graduating classes.
“This is a significant milestone in our journey as an educational institution still considered to be in its infancy stage. We are proud of how far we have come and are super proud of the graduating Classes of 2023,” he says.
Located in Block 7, Gaborone, Enko Botho has positioned itself as an educational institution with a reputation for providing quality education that empowers students to reach their full potential. At inception, the school had only 36 students in a tiny building and now boasts over 400 students and 37 state-of-the-art classrooms across three blocks.
To this, Mr Green thanked the parents who took a risk with the school in 2020 and entrusted them with the education of their children. He expressed great joy at seeing some of the faces that started with them in 2020 at the height of COVID-19, not only graduating but having grown and transformed into responsible young adults who he hopes to see fly high and do exceptionally well in future.
As Enko Botho continues to shape the future leaders of Botswana, the institution’s ambition is to be a school of choice for parents who aspire to the best outcomes for their children in Botswana. Through its dedication to academic excellence, character development, and global perspectives, Enko Botho is making a lasting impact on the educational landscape and the lives of its students.
Corporate
Sister In Law Empowers Women through Law
This past weekend, Botswana‘s ambassador of Sister in law movement hosted 120 attendants for the I am Lady Justice Workshop. The workshop is said to empower women through legal education.
The topics that were discussed during the workshop included; Marriage, divorce, child maintenance, wills, employment law, cyber law and financial literacy.
Sister in law is a movement from South Africa that was founded in 2018 by attorney Tebello Motshwane.
Giving a background of how the movement started in Botswana, Tebele said she was inspired by her shared vision with the founder of sister in law to empower women through legal education.
“I came to learn about sister in law through social media. I flew down to Johannesburg to attend the first sister in law workshop in March 2019, met with Tebello, the founder and gelled. The rest is history. I am now the Botswana ambassador of sister in law” Tebele said.
ABOUT SISTER IN LAW
When giving her remarks, founder of the sister in law Tebello Motshwane revealed that her mother’s divorce inspired her to start the movement.
“Sister in law started as a Blog and was inspired by my own mother who went through a divorce so I became very interested in studying the law because my grandfather always advised me to study law so I can understand why certain things happened when going through a divorce.”
She said after studying law she started the platform as a way to ensure that other women will never find themselves in the position that her mother was left in –divorced with two minor kids in Johannesburg not knowing where to start.
“Some of the information is crucial so you would wonder why women are being disempowered because they cannot afford a legal consultation. So I decided to make this information available online so women can be empowered.”
Motshwane further alluded that the project is a personal passion that she took on to herself to say that the next women who could not afford an attorney would at least have a direction a guide to start.
“Women are already there browsing through make-up, jokes, tick tock so you may as well be empowered as well, so that’s how sister in law came about.”
Corporate
Wine enthusiasts gear up for an unforgettable adventure at the First Wine Show
First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated First Wine Show is back, and wine enthusiasts are in for a memorable experience this weekend from Friday 26th May 2023 to Saturday 27th May 2023 at Molapo Piazza. The annual event brings together wine enthusiasts to indulge in a world of flavours and connect with fellow connoisseurs and experts in a great ambiance. “We are excited to host and interact with wine lovers this weekend and promote the lifestyle brand that FNBB is. This event gives us an opportunity to mingle with our stakeholders in a relaxed atmosphere of great wine coupled with the best culinary experience,” said FNBB Director of Retail, Ms Monkgogi Mogorosi. She also mentioned that the event promises to be a remarkable fusion of refined tastes, cultural appreciation, and captivating interactions and provide attendees with a great experience, highlighting that the Bank has partnered with Tamasa Trading to make this possible. The two-day event will start with an exclusive invite only engagement for Premier and Private clients which affords the Bank an opportunity to unpack its value proposition while promoting networking amongst attendees. This will be followed by the Saturday engagement open to wine lovers by purchasing tickets for only P 250. There will be 100 different types of wines available from 13 privately owned wineries ensuring the quality and exclusivity of the wines. Patrons will be spoilt for choice with multiple internationally awarded wines and South African award-winning wines available for tasting. All the wines available for tasting will also be for sale at the event at special prices. The wine show is expected to attract a large crowd as it is one of the most sought out lifestyle events in the calendar.
Patrons can purchase tickets at the below selected outlets: • Riverwalk – Webtickets Kiosk • Online- www.webtickets.co.bw • Maru-a-Pula School- Maitisong • Spar Stores – Kgale, Broadhurst, Molepolole, Mochudi, Airport Junction, Village, Maun Delta, Nswazi, Nzano, Serowe, RailPark, Kanye, Acacia, Kgabo, • Mahalapye, Palapye Junction, Boiteko, Orapa, Kasane, Lobatse, Tsolamosese, Gantsi, The Fields, Marang, Letlhakane and Mafenyatlala. • Choppies Stores – Westgate Mall Gaborone, Selebi Phikwe Mall, Tsabong, Jwaneng, Tati Town Francistown, Metsimotlhabe, Zeerust Road Lobatse.