Art in Botswana

Botswana has no single overarching institution for the arts. The Ministry of Sport and Arts develops policy; the responsible arts-and-culture units deal, among other matters, with artist support, training, copyright, exhibitions, residencies and preservation. NACB supports sector development, protection, grants, partnerships and marketing. The Department of National Museum and Monuments manages collections, preservation and exhibitions. The National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone is a central exhibition venue, while the Thapong Visual Art Centre is documented as a platform for visual art. Visual art includes painting, sculpture, photography, basketry, beadwork, woodcarving, ceramics, traditional pottery, leatherwork, murals, public art and fashion. Exhibitions and competitions take place across the country. Music ranges from traditional and contemporary forms to choral music, dikhwaere, Clap-and-Tap and church or community groups, as well as DJs and commercial releases. Typical instruments include segaba, setinkane and katara. Traditional dance and performance forms include Setapa, Tsutsube, Hosanna, Phathisi, Seperu, Diware and Sebirwa, among others. Literature includes traditional and contemporary poetry, drama, storytelling traditions, folklore, book production, and translations and adaptations. Competitions for writers and readers provide additional access. The University of Botswana enables formal education and research, including in English, African Languages and Literature, practical theatre and screenwriting. Performing arts include theatre, drama, dance, comedy, traditional songs and dances, and poetry. The National Arts Festival was formerly associated with the President’s Day competitions; access ran through Constituency, regional and national competitions. The University of Botswana offers a BFA in Theatre Arts, and its Travelling Theatre has existed historically since 1982. Film is supported through the Film Office, district development, mentoring and short-film screenings. For 2025/26, eight feature-length films were commissioned; 2.9 million BWP was reported for this purpose. Parliament passed the Cinematograph Bill on 6 April 2026. A Film Commission and new permit rules are planned, but implementation and commencement must each be checked. The published filming guidance generally requires an application at least one month in advance. The fee is 1,000 BWP for citizens, 5,000 BWP for residents and 10,000 BWP for non-residents; crew identity cards or passports and, in some circumstances, submission of a copy are among the requirements. Once the law commences, the applicability of this guidance may change. Architectural works are protected by copyright. The University of Botswana offers, among other subjects, Industrial Design and Urban and Regional Planning; no separate national access route or funding pathway for architecture as art is documented. Graphic design, fashion and industrial design overlap with art, as do design-and-technology education and individual competitions for hairdressing and modelling. Trade and industrial rules, however, are not part of access to the arts. Photography is among the Visual Arts funding categories, may be exhibited or commissioned, and is covered both by protection for photographic works and by rules for certain film recordings. No separate national institution, category or access route for digital art is documented. Digital-media education and the mapping of digital creative fields in 2026 provide a functional context without expanding the subject into a general media or IT topic. NACB is based on the NACB Act of 2020, which was passed on 17 September 2020; the official launch took place in May 2023. Grants may cover training, performances, music, comedy, poetry, theatre, literary production, translation and adaptation, exhibitions, fashion shows, sculptures and murals. Applications are free and take approximately two months. Small grants are up to 50,000 BWP and large grants up to 250,000 BWP. In the 2025 funding cycle, 479 applications were received; 57 were supported with a total of 4 million BWP, of which 35 projects had been completed and 22 were still in progress. Eligible applicants are Botswana citizens, artists, cultural practitioners and cultural organisations. Registered organisations need valid registration; unregistered community groups or committees may apply with support from a village development committee (Village Development Committee). Applications go to NACB or the Ministry of Sport and Arts at headquarters or at a District Office. Typical documents include a copy of a national identity document (Omang), proof of registration and, depending on the case, proof of tax compliance and a VAT Clearance or exemption certificate. District Offices, Constituency competitions and community routes extend access beyond Gaborone, including in rural areas. The art market often operates through sales, events, partnerships, exhibitions, residencies, mobility, public commissions and self-organised groups. UNESCO findings from 2026 also identify fragmented structures, limited market access, gaps in digital skills, weak industry data and funding barriers. There is no documented nationwide price standard or reliable income benchmark for artists. The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act protects, among other things, books and writings, dramatic and choreographic works, music, audiovisual works, architecture, visual art, photography, applied art, translations, adaptations and folklore. The collective management organisation for copyright royalties (COSBOTS) is the central collecting society for licences and the collection and distribution of royalties. Commercial users such as broadcasters, DJs, libraries, hospitality businesses and event organisers often need a COSBOTS licence for the relevant use of protected music. Artists should document authorship, ownership and usage rights, comply with grant documents and reporting requirements, and observe filming-permit requirements. Piracy and limited market access remain practical risks; planned or reported protection for certain performers’ rights does not count as applicable law without proven commencement.