Botswana’s public broadcaster has opened its airwaves to international advertisements, a significant shift aimed at welcoming multinational and South African advertisers into the local market. Marnox Media, which has been collaborating with the broadcaster on this matter for several years, argued successfully that the existing rules were hindering access to Botswana’s advertising landscape.
Working alongside strategy expert Peter Langschmidt, Marnox Media presented a compelling case to the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS). They emphasised that, due to Botswana’s relatively small economy, the costs of creating local advertising content were often unjustifiable.
Mark Knocker of Marnox Media pointed out that Botswana’s GDP is considerably smaller than South Africa’s, which limits the commercial feasibility of producing tailored advertisements for the Botswana market. In a progressive move, DBS has agreed to eliminate the previous requirement, allowing advertisers to air existing campaigns on the broadcaster’s platforms without the necessity for local production. This decision is anticipated to simplify the entry process for brands looking to engage with Botswana’s audience.
Chris Botha, managing director of Park Advertising, noted that this change will facilitate expanding current advertising materials to Botswana’s main commercial stations.
Additionally, DBS has appointed Venture Bliss, based in Gaborone, as its sales representative. This company, led by Diks Ketlogetswe, has in turn appointed Marnox Media to represent Botswana Television (BTV) and Radio Botswana 2 (RB2) in South Africa, Kenya, and various other African markets.
