26 Sep 2022

The creative sector has been described as the new economy which is set to play a major role in support of job creation especially for the youth.

The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture Tumiso Rakgare said this during launch of the Visual Art Exhibition in Gaborone September 23.

He said the creative sector hasd joined forces with other economic undertakings to unlock trade doors, cultural exchanges and partnerships with the global world to create opportunities for economic diversification.

“This calls for harnessing and leveraging the use of digital platforms to access markets and create networks for our local products especially as the country emerges from economic setbacks by COVID-19,” Rakgare said.

Rakgare, therefore, said the virtual art exhibition which was part of the 56th independence celebrations supported the ideals of a knowledge-based economy.

He said after COVID-19, the country was forced to redirect and adopt a concrete shape to the President’s vision of making Batswana a priority and creating a drive to grow Botswana into a self-sustained economy.

He added that the digitisation of artists’ works was an economic reform that aimed to ease process of showcasing products, building connections and creating brands .

Rakgare, encouraged and urged local artists to take advantage of platforms such as the virtual exhibition space to broaden their market bases for their products to increase their dominance in the sector’s contribution to economic growth and the overall GDP which was estimated at 5.46 per cent.’ Ends