How Women Entrepreneurs in Botswana Are Transforming Their Economic Futures
In eastern Botswana, four remarkable women are proving that entrepreneurship can be a powerful path to personal and community transformation. Baikanne Toteng (43), Gofaone Botshelo (41), Kenyatsegile Gotewang (49), and Stephinah Gaanakobo (53) are the founders of Pinbelly Elite, a cleaning detergent manufacturing and services company. These women represent a growing movement of female entrepreneurs reshaping economic opportunities in their communities.
Overcoming Initial Challenges
Women in Botswana often face significant economic challenges, including limited access to resources and knowledge. Overcoming these barriers is essential for gender equality and economic empowerment. Baikanne, Gofaone, Kenyatsegile, and Stephinah faced a daily struggle to provide for their families as single parents. The women had received initial support through a poverty eradication scheme that helped them manufacture sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the pandemic subsided, their business prospects looked increasingly uncertain.
Business Support from TechnoServe
In July 2023, the group joined TechnoServe’s Tokafala program, which focuses on fostering the growth of small and growing businesses in Botswana. Tokafala is a collaboration between the Government of Botswana, Debswana, De Beers Group, and Anglo American. Joining the program became a turning point in their entrepreneurial journey.
Tokafala’s comprehensive approach to entrepreneurship training makes it particularly transformative. The program didn’t just provide theoretical knowledge but also offered practical skills that could be applied immediately. The women learned critical business skills such as record-keeping, pricing strategies, marketing techniques, and overall business management. Crucially, they were also exposed to benchmarking exercises that allowed them to learn from other successful businesses.
“We took Pinbelly Elite for peer learning sessions and benchmarking from two of our clients producing similar products from our previous cohort,” added Tokafala Business Advisor Mbaki Moiteelasilo.
The results of this training were remarkable. Pinbelly Elite transformed from a micro-enterprise to a small company with significant growth, with a revenue increase of 2900%. They hit crucial business milestones, including obtaining product barcodes, permission to use the Brand Botswana mark, and meeting packaging and labeling standards. These achievements allowed them to become suppliers to major retailers like Choppies, Fours, and Welcome Cash and Carry.
The Ripple Effect of Economic Empowerment
Economic empowerment through the Tokafala program extended far beyond business success. Each of these women has been able to construct houses, provide better educational opportunities for their children, and purchase household items that were previously unimaginable. They’ve bought smartphones, paid school fees, and acquired household items like televisions, refrigerators, and beds.
Perhaps most importantly, the program has shifted community perceptions about women’s economic potential. In a society where women are increasingly recognized as capable breadwinners, these entrepreneurs have become role models. Their male relatives and community members have become not only supporters but also often eager learners, asking to be taught about business strategies.
Collaborative Success: Empowering Women Beyond Business
The women of Pinbelly Elite emphasize that their success is about more than individual achievement. “We have learned how to deal with group dynamics and work effectively toward a common goal,” shared Baikanne Toteng. These entrepreneurs actively share their knowledge, encouraging other women to start businesses, and demonstrating that entrepreneurship can be a collective journey. Their collaborative approach—owning the business equally and supporting each other—challenges traditional economic models that often isolate women entrepreneurs.
Looking to the future, these women have ambitious plans. They hope to purchase a company car, employ more people, invest in personal vehicles and property, and even buy cattle. Their vision for their children is equally inspiring: a university education supported by the understanding that entrepreneurship is a viable path to success if traditional academic routes don’t work out.
Entrepreneurship: A Powerful Path to Empowering Women Economically
The Tokafala program represents more than just a business training initiative. Since its inception, Tokafala has enrolled more than 1,310 small and medium enterprises—of which 40% were women-owned or operated enterprises. It supported the creation of over 11,200 jobs. The youth development program has trained over 1,200 youth and assisted 559 to become economically active.
By providing comprehensive support, programs like Tokafala enable women to not just survive, but truly thrive economically.
FAQs
What’s on your mind?
What is the Tokafala program?
The Tokafala program is an initiative by TechnoServe that provides training and support to small businesses in Botswana, focusing on practical business skills and sustainable growth.
How did Pinbelly Elite succeed through the Tokafala program?
Pinbelly Elite grew its revenue by 2900% and became a supplier for major retailers by leveraging Tokafala’s business training and peer learning opportunities.
Why is economic empowerment important for women?
Empowering women economically can improve family well-being, shift community perceptions, and contribute to sustainable development.
