The Ministry of Sports and Arts is in the process of developing Sport and creative sector strategy which is expected to unlock job opportunities across the sport and creatives value chains.
The strategy is intended to ensure that there is a strong and coordinated legal and regulatory framework, adequate and sustainable resourcing, sufficient infrastructure and institutional setting, systemic training and development of the sports and creative industry players.
This was revealed by the minister of sports and Arts Jacob Kelebeng during the 2025 Sport Pitso that was held in Gaborone over the past weekend. The event was meant to give the ministry an opportunity to obtain a clear mandate from sports persons, sports administrators and all other persons involved in the running of sport. It was also a platform for different stakeholders to discuss issues that are critical in the delivery of world class sport products and services.
According to Kelebeng, government established the ministry cognizant of the fact that the sports sector has the potential to generate much needed jobs in the economy. He expressed the need to rethink sport and advance Botswana to greater heights by primarily focusing on four areas that include sport funding, the BNSC act, school sport and national hosting strategy.
Kelebeng said that the national sporting associations rely heavily on government grants, and with a diversity of competing priorities, financial resources are limited. He noted that it was essential that alternative sources of funding are exploited.
“The private sector is at our disposal and there are potential partners in the delivery of sport programs and projects. As leaders in sport, we should strive to tap into this potential source of funding,” he said.
In order to ensure that there is a robust legal framework to facilitate the growth of sport, Kelebeng noted that the Botswana National Sport Commission Act No. 30 of 2014 is under review.
Kelebeng has further stated that he was aware that there have not been any sport activities in public schools in the last five years. He indicated that this has created an undesirable void in the sport development process, and the social consequences on the communities are already evident. Kelebeng has therefore revealed that they have started engagements with the ministry of child welfare and basic education to bring back school sport.
Kelebeng has expressed that they intend to propose for the national hosting strategy which entails developing a strategy for hosting of international sporting events as a way of creating the self-sustaining sport industry in Botswana. He said that the strategy will ensure that there is wise and efficient use of resources.
“If developed and implemented well, this strategy has the potential to develop countless sports related value chains in the areas of tourism, manufacturing, retail, research, education and broadcasting,” he said.
