Are Poor Standards and Branding Holding Botswana Back?

• by gmashworth
• in Miscellaneous
• posted December 19, 2020

Botswana’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Peggy Serame, recently challenged local producers to raise the quality of their goods and services. Her goal is clear: ensure that Botswana-made products and services are competitive domestically, regionally, and internationally. It’s a justified and commendable call — I salute Minister Serame.

In fact, I feel as though Minister Serame has been reading my earlier articles! If you’re reading this, Peggy, we really should meet one evening or late afternoon — daytime is far too busy, for both of us.

Why Standards and Branding Matter

One key reason to improve the standards and branding of local products is simple: it makes your business more attractive and commercially viable. Higher quality and better branding build credibility for Botswana-made goods, both at home and abroad. Yet, too often, people underestimate or outright dismiss the importance of branding.

Branding is crucial for any business — especially small businesses and startups, which must first establish recognition and trust. Even the most successful global brands remain competitive by consistently maintaining high standards, as part of the promise they make to customers.

Just look at CNN’s “100 Club,” which profiles brands that have endured for a century or more. Their survival is no accident — it’s the result of continuous evolution and unrelenting commitment to quality.

Trust is essential. Trust breeds loyalty. Loyalty ensures a customer base, and customers keep your cash flow alive. Break that trust, and you risk losing everything. 

Invest in Your Brand — From the Start

Sadly, many business owners starve their brands of investment at the outset. Some attempt to cut corners, trusting cheap “branding experts” who were chosen primarily because they fit a small budget.

Let me be blunt: there are very few true branding experts in Botswana. If there were, we would see much stronger evidence of their influence. Business owners often argue that branding is “too expensive” — but that’s their first mistake. The second is hiring the wrong designer.

A logo can cost anywhere from $15 to $15,000. Why such a wide range? Because great logos require talent, research, and time — and a great logo can be pivotal to a company’s success.

“A professionally designed logo can contribute to the growth of a brand.”
— Colin Finkle, Founder, Brand Marketing Blog

In many cases, the issue isn’t a lack of funding. Agencies like CEDA and LEA provide loans to startups. However, these institutions often focus on ticking boxes rather than ensuring quality. I’m sorry to say, but I see little evidence of branding expertise even within institutions like CEDA, LEA, BITC, Brand Botswana, and BTO.

When businesses are handed a list of “approved” design providers, who is vetting the quality? Are these designers capable of delivering the brand strength needed to compete regionally and globally? 

Aesthetics Matter: Choose Your Design Partners Wisely

People gravitate toward things that look and feel good. Poor design translates to poor perception — especially when your product sits next to established brands on supermarket shelves. Too often, Botswana brands look shoddy or cheap because of poor design choices.

Choosing the right designer isn’t easy — especially in today’s chaotic online environment. Post a design request on Facebook, and you’ll be swarmed by “WhatsApp me” messages and links to non-existent websites. Experienced professionals typically don’t respond to this kind of “auction.”

Clients deserve to find competent designers through real, professional portfolios — not through piranha-like Facebook scrambles.

Think Growth, Not Just Survival

Improving branding and product quality also helps businesses plan for growth beyond Botswana’s limited 2.3 million population. The government’s initiatives to restrict imports and encourage local production are helpful — but they can also lead to complacency. Without competition, standards may slip.

Competition is healthy. It forces innovation, drives improvement, and ensures that businesses stay sharp. Shielding local businesses from competition is a short-term solution — empowering them to compete globally is the real answer.

We also need clear communication around what counts as “local” within the #PushaBW initiative. Selling goods imported from South Africa or China is not made in Botswana and therefore not PushaBW.

Pricing and Sustainability

Pricing is another critical factor. Some businesses overcharge due to greed; others undercharge out of desperation — slashing their rates by 50% or more. Both strategies are unsustainable.

When you drastically lower your prices, you devalue your service and exhaust yourself working twice as hard for half the money. Raising your prices later becomes extremely difficult, as customers anchor themselves to your discounted rate.

Value your skills appropriately — for your sake and the market’s.

Avoid Vanity and the ‘C-Word’

Marketing is another stumbling block. Too many entrepreneurs treat social media as a vanity project, chasing likes instead of sales. Facebook likes don’t cash out at the bank.

The reality is this: No one has been waiting their whole life for your product. You must market it effectively — and marketing is not easy. It takes strategy, effort, and authenticity.

Another hard truth: issues like nepotism, corruption, and the “who-you-know” culture continue to undermine Botswana’s entrepreneurial progress. These systemic problems are rarely discussed openly but must be addressed behind the scenes if the situation is to improve.

The Bottom Line: Invest, Research, and Plan for Longevity

Invest in your brand. Research and work with proven experts. Deliver quality products and services. Price fairly and sustainably. Focus on long-term success, not short-term profit.

Too many local businesses operate as though their failure is inevitable, focusing on immediate cash flow instead of building enduring brands. But those who invest wisely, innovate, and uphold high standards can and will succeed — even beyond Botswana’s borders.

Outside Botswana, competition is fierce. Once you step onto the international stage, the government can’t protect you. Your brand must sell itself.

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This article may sound critical — and it is — but it’s driven by frustration and hope.

I have seen brilliant ideas and talented individuals squandered by poor branding and complacency. It’s time to break the cycle, to push boundaries, raise standards, and demand better — from ourselves and from each other.

Those who rise to the challenge will be the change Botswana needs.