Onboarding
ONBOARDING
Création Botswana Kicks Off 2025 With Designer Onboarding Session at Alliance Française
Monday, 27 January 2025 marked the official start of the 2025 Création Botswana programme, as selected designers gathered at Alliance Française de Gaborone for a dynamic onboarding session that set the tone for the months ahead.
The session brought together 28 designers, representatives from partner institutions, and internationally recognised industry experts who will guide participants through the first phase of the programme. The atmosphere was energetic and collaborative, with designers meeting one another, engaging directly with the experts, and getting clarity on what to expect from the year’s activities
Why the Onboarding Session Matters
The onboarding session is an essential first step in the programme’s methodology. It ensures that:
●Designers understand the structure and expectations for 2025
● Experts have an opportunity to introduce their roles and areas of specialisation
● Participants begin reflecting on their brands, business goals, and market positioning
● The foundation is set for an individually responsive, needs-based learning journey
Meet the Experts Leading Phase One
The onboarding introduced designers to the international experts conducting the January diagnostic sessions. Each expert brings deep knowledge in a specific field essential to fashion entrepreneurship:
Together, these experts form a multidisciplinary team providing designers with holistic insight into creativity, business, branding, and production.
Pierre Elgorriaga
Creative & Cultural Industries Specialist (Montpellier, France)
Pierre specialises in cultural economy frameworks, creative-sector development, and entrepreneurship models. His expertise helps designers analyse their business structure, value proposition, and long-term growth strategy through a global lens.
Nelly Wandji
Luxury Branding & Market Positioning Expert (Paris, France)
Founder of Moonlook, Nelly focuses on African luxury, brand identity, and premium market alignment. She supports designers in understanding how storytelling, product excellence, and strategic positioning create competitive brands.
Bonolo Moleme
Fashion Business Strategist (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Bonolo is known for his work in fashion retail strategy, business modelling, pricing structures, and brand development. His diagnostic sessions help designers refine their financial approach, structure their operations, and strengthen sustainability within their business.
Lukhanyo Mdingi
Award-Winning Designer & Creative Director (Cape Town, South Africa)
Lukhanyo brings a designer's eye to brand development, focusing on craftsmanship, coherence, and artistic direction. He helps participants evaluate their collections from a creative and technical standpoint to ensure global readiness.
Designer Diagnostics: The Heart of Phase One
Immediately following the onboarding session, Création Botswana began a full week of one-on-one diagnostic interviews with all 28 participants. These sessions took place from 27–31 January at Alliance Française. Each designer received a personalised consultation covering:
- Brand identity and storytelling
- Business model and pricing
- Production capacity and workflow
- Target market and competitive positioning
- Long-term goals and expansion opportunities
This diagnostic process is critical to the programme’s structure. Instead of offering generic workshops, Création Botswana uses expert insights gathered during the interviews to build a tailored curriculum for the year—ensuring that masterclasses, mentorship, and support respond directly to what Botswana’s designers actually need.
A Purposeful Beginning to a Transformative Year
The 2025 onboarding session successfully set the stage for meaningful engagement, international collaboration, and designer-focused development. By bringing experts and designers together from day one, the programme begins with clarity, shared vision, and a personalised roadmap for growth.
The insights gathered during onboarding and diagnostics will now guide the next phases of training, ensuring a year built around strategy, innovation, and sustainable fashion entrepreneurship in Botswana.
