Pitching Competition
PITCHING COMPETITION
Création Botswana Hosts Designer Pitching Competition Showcasing Botswana’s Emerging Fashion Entrepreneurs
This competition served as a defining moment for Cohort 2, whose members had been preparing for this milestone since the beginning of the programme. But in a powerful display of inclusivity and merit-based opportunity, Cohort 1 designers were also given the chance to compete internally earlier in the week. The winners, Trudy Bakwena and twins Ali and Tess Jonas, earned their place on the main stage alongside Cohort 2.
To ensure fairness, the jury was not informed which designers belonged to which cohort, allowing every participant to be evaluated solely on the strength of their pitch, strategy, creativity, and clarity of vision.
Preparing for the Stage: A Week of Dedicated Pitch Training
- Brand storytelling
- Pitch deck structure and communication strategy
- Financial clarity and business modelling
- Customer segmentation and value proposition
- Effective verbal delivery and confidence
By the end of the week, every finalist had crafted a polished, investor-ready pitch that reflected the progress they had made throughout the programme.
THE PITCHING COMPETITION
A Jury of Industry Giants & Visionaries
- Hon. Lesego Chombo – Minister of Youth and Gender
- Rich Mnisi – Internationally acclaimed South African fashion designer
- Ada Thela – Leader in African creative entrepreneurship
- Jean-Marc Chauve – Fashion business strategist and export expert for the Imane Ayissi brand
A Showcase of Vision, Strategy & Creativity
Each designer had ten minutes to present their business model, target market, competitive advantage, production strategy, and long-term vision.
Each pitch illuminated the designer’s growth, demonstrating stronger financial structures, clearer brand stories, refined customer segmentation, and improved communication skills. The jury evaluated each participant on creativity, business viability, innovation, sustainability, and export-readiness.
Jury Feedback &
Reflections
From 4:30 to 5:00 PM, the jury offered collective and individual feedback. Their insights touched on:
- Strengthening production scalability
- Ensuring consistent quality for international markets
- Enhancing brand storytelling
- Understanding pricing models and margins
- Exploring partnerships and long-term growth
Their comments were constructive, insightful, and deeply encouraging, affirming the progress made by each designer.
Networking Cocktail: Connecting Talent with Opportunity
The event concluded with a networking cocktail, where designers, jury members, partners, and invited guests continued discussions, exchanged contacts, and explored potential collaborations.
This informal close offered designer a rare opportunity to receive direct advice from major figures in the African fashion industry, solidifying the Pitching Competition as not only a competitive event, but a transformative professional moment.
A Powerful Showcase of Botswana’s Fashion Future
The Pitching Competition not only celebrated emerging excellence, it demonstrated the extraordinary progress these 28 designers have made throughout the Création Botswana programme. With strengthened skills, compelling stories, and growing confidence, they stand ready to step into new markets and new possibilities.
