Envisaged Book to Sell Botswana as a Destination of Choice

  • “Botswana is Home” to feature ‘overlooked’ destinations
  • Photography competition to select cover picture is underway

GOSEGO MOTSUMI

Following her three published works, “Kasane,” “The Shrink,” and “Hope,” Motswana author Brigitta Zwani is working on her fourth book that will be titled “Botswana is Home.”
The envisaged offering is set to benchmark Botswana as a destination of choice for both local and international tourists.

“I have noticed that tourists are my target audience and would like my product placement to sell Botswana more,” the wordsmith, who is now a full-time author, told Time Out.

 

Cover picture
“I noticed that after reading ‘Kasane,’ people want to visit the places that are mentioned in the book. So I am doing the same thing with this new book – focusing on different areas in the country and making sure that I capture the essence of Botswana.”

Zwani is currently running a photography competition from which to choose the cover picture “Botswana is Home,” as well as to raise funds for a printed version.

A registration of P500 per entry in the competition that is sponsored by Canon is required. Titled “Capture the Essence of Botswana,” the photography competition opened on 1 November and will run until the end of 2022.

The prize for the winner of the competition is a Canon EOS M50 Mark II camera worth P15 000.

Photographers Tlhalefang Charles, Mabedi Letsholo, interim board chairperson of Botswana Tourism Organization Wincey Ramaphoi, and Miss Earth Botswana 2020 Seneo Perry are on the judging panel.

“I normally take pre-orders before the book comes out but I have realised that pre-orders do not make enough for self-publishing costs,” Zwani noted.

 

The book
“I realised that I run at a loss when I print 100 copies, whereas the print per unit reduces significantly when I print a 1000 copies.”

The new book will feature local tourism destinations that are often overlooked because in addition to the beaten track to the Chobe and the Okavango Delta, there is Kgalagadi and its marvelous sand dunes, museums and the historical town of Lobatse that has been pivotal in the liberation of Mozambique and South Africa.

“I want to document these places and their history in the book and to explore places that people generally would not know,” Zwani pointed out.

A chapter for a nominal fee
Zwani is currently conducting research for the envisaged book. She has urged individuals, restaurants and entities in the leisure and hospitality sector to become a part of the book for a nominal fee that will go towards printing costs.

Senyati Safari Camp in Kasane has shown interest in having a chapter in the book.
“The chapter will have Senyati as the heading for a story woven around Senyati, in the process marketing the camp through characters in the book.

“This will ensure that the flow and essence of the book is not lost.”