Dhaa Botswana: The Groundbreaking Event, Shining the Spotlight on the Creativity, Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Botswana.
A team of highly experienced, dedicated creatives from Botswana and the UK, in partnership with the Government of Botswana, bring you Dhaa Botswana: Fashion, Craft and Culture, coinciding with Botswana Tourism Expo, happening in Kasane, Botswana, 24th – 26th November 2023. Expect high-velocity fashion showcases featuring top local and international fashion designers, exhibitions and first-class cultural entertainment.Â
Dhaa Botswana is a groundbreaking, transformative annual event aimed at spotlighting and safeguarding Botswana’s traditional arts, crafts and culture with an emphasis on sustainability, exposure, investment opportunities, tourism, cross-sector engagement, upskilling, employment generation and national pride. The event celebrates Pan-Africanism, inviting designers and artisans from across Africa and African Diaspora, demonstrating Africa’s global leadership in resources, sustainability, innovation, designs, community and heritage preservation. Â
Dhaa Botswana’s key spokesperson, Berry Heart in a statement revealed, “After years of you travelling around the world, there will be a warm welcome from the Dhaa Botswana team. The first days in Botswana will be a colourful exploration of the calm yet vibrant Gaborone Capital. The city centre, with its unique architecture, has been designated as one of the safest cities in Africa. If you choose to fly to Kasane you will have the better advantage of Chobe Delta, the Chobe River that cascades into the game reserve, a habitant of over 100, 000 herds of Elephants, a great number of lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalos, crocodiles, hippos, kudus, colourful birds and many other mammals and amphibians.
A 500km drive away from Kasane to Nata village will find animals trod into twos and threes until you reach Kasane, that is when you will look forward to an evening/morning boat and game drive. Dhaa Botswana will offer you an experience rich in culture and creativity, an amazing human-animal coexistence!
Along with an impressive portfolio and decades of experience between them, a shared sense of purpose and uncompromising championing of Africa and African Pride, Dhaa Botswana is brought to you by Kootshepile Motseonageng (aka. Berry Heart) – a leading public figure in Botswana, a very successful entrepreneur, a highly sought after brand ambassador, fashion designer, owner of Berry Heart Creations and Berry Heart Safaris, and a multi-award-winning artist, singer and poet.
Ikanyeng Molemele is a highly accomplished consultant in financial services and information and communication technology, based between London and Botswana, with clients including the European Bank of Reconstruction Development, Botswana National Development Bank, M&G Prudential, Vodafone, British Telecom, Abaricom Botswana, to name a few.Â
Michael Burgess, previously a senior diplomat, has been the programme and business development lead, event producer and advisor for key Africa-focused organisations in the UK and Europe including Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria, the Africa Centre, the Royal African Society, Tate Museums, Victoria & Albert Museum, the Africa in London Committee, to name a few. He is the Co-Founder and Director of one of the UK’s highly regarded social enterprise, Creative Resilience International, specialising in production and development which promotes and empower creatives in art, design and culture from Black and underrepresented communities.
Guided by the unique needs of Botswana and its creative industry and spurred by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Dhaa Botswana is shifting the spotlight on Botswana and seeing the country as a viable culture and creative capital in Africa with an impressive history of resilience, leadership and unending potential.Â