12 Oct 2023

The Inaugural Little Mister and Miss Botswana Primary Schools organisers will launch the pageantry and finalists at Gabane Family Fun Villa on Saturday.

The launch is held ahead of the grand finale billed for December 16 this year at the Kagisong Hotel & Conference Centre in Mogoditshane.

This national initiative was designed to unearth and foster talent among primary school children aged 3-12 years in the field of pageantry.

In an interview the Pageant National Director, Botlhale Menyatso, said the pageant's objective was to inspire young boys and girls to comprehend their dreams and unlock their potential to represent their country on an international level.

“The primary objective of this pageant is to showcase our country’s abundant resources across various sectors such as tourism, farming, mining, among others, and to promote the diverse cultures within Botswana,” he explained.

He said the goal was nurturing the next generation of models who displayed a unique sense of style in their modelling career.

The pageant director said he was keen to foster confident and competent young models also  passionate about their academics.

He also said the pageant was designed to reward contestants who demonstrated courage, confidence, elegance, creativity, and vibrancy.

"We also encourage them to excel academically, engage in fundraising activities, and contribute to their communities through voluntary service," he said.

The pageant has TOTO categories, for the children aged between 3 to 4 years, MINI  for five to nine year-olds, and LITTLE for those who are 10 to 12 years.“This is to ensure that children at different stages were able to compete at a level that is age-appropriate and challenging in a fun way,” Menyatso said.

He said he was impressed by the turnout and the talent exhibited by the young contestants during selection process, indicating a bright future for pageantry in Botswana.

To strengthen the pageantry industry in Botswana, Menyatso said they would continue to work closely with schools and encourage more youths to engage in pageantry as a way of nurturing their talents and developing self-confidence.He also mentioned the importance of instilling discipline, humility and integrity in the practice of pageantry.

He thanked parents for their unwavering support in allowing their children to participate in the event.

 He concluded by saying that it was encouraging to see such enthusiasm and interest in pageantry from the youth and was hopeful that the sector would continue to grow and produce many more talents in the future.

Highlighting the schools involved, he said, they had contestants from 19 areas, namely Tutume, Metsimotlhabe, Mahalapye, Orapa, Sojwe, Gaborone, Malotwana, Mochudi, Ramotswa, Kanye, Molepolole, Serowe, Letlhakane, Taupye, Francistown, Khwee, Mmopane, Lobatse and Goodhope.

As for the day's proceedings, on Saturday, he said, there would be a scheduled official photo-shoot, for later use in media-wide voting“Each finalist will undergo a one-on-one interview with the panel of judges,” he added, "and also unveil their community outreach projects.These projects include organising Christmas boxes for donation to the Mochudi Resource Centre for the Blind (also known as the Stimulation Centre).” ENDS