Content creators to mobilise for World Athletics Relays buzz
‘Relay Our Story’ campaign to ensure Botswana controls own narrative
As excitement builds across the country for two major sporting spectacles – the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix 2026 and the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026 – slated for April 26th and May 2nd respectively, the spirit of the relay is already alive in a different way.
Content creators gathered at Court 5 Restaurant last Tuesday, just steps from the National Stadium, to launch a new campaign aptly titled “Relay Our Story” in the lead-up to the much-anticipated elite track and field events.
The campaign is the brainchild of resourceful digital content creator, Metha Ralefatsana, who is also the founder of SMME Growth Zone Trust, a youth-led initiative that empowers young entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and funding, helping startups grow into sustainable businesses across various sectors.
According to Ralefatsana, Relay Our Story is not just a campaign but a strategic nationwide movement that mobilises local creators to lead the way in sharing Botswana’s narrative through their own platforms. “The initiative, which boasts over 136 active creators, focuses on producing high-volume, real-time content daily for the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, showcasing the country’s culture, tourism and innovation.”
She noted that Botswana’s global visibility during major events has often been limited by the lack of coordinated participation by local creators in national storytelling.
“Through the campaign theme, ’50 Creators. 30 Days.’ One Story: Botswana”, participants will produce daily content across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, focusing on national pride, heritage, and the road to the relays,” she said, adding, “The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration, attract partnerships, and ultimately gain institutional recognition, strategic alignment, and access to national platforms.”
Key stakeholders at the launch included representatives from the National Arts Council Botswana (NACB), Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Obie Digital and Golden Door Sports Agency, which was representing the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix.
Golden Door Sports Agency manager Obusitse Motshidisi emphasised the importance of owning local narratives, quoting Bob Marley: “Until the lion tells his story, the tale of the hunt always glorifies the hunter.” He said the Botswana narrative, particularly on platforms like YouTube, is often shaped by foreigners. “They don’t have our lived experience, but they are telling our story from their perspective; they cannot tell it as best as we can. This is why I believe this movement is happening at the right time and is so vitally important.”
Highlighting the inspiration behind the movement, Ralefatsana said her observation of the World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, in 2024 motivated her to rally fellow creators. “I learned that a significant $4.6 million investment during the World Relays in the Bahamas was directed toward media, with $1.3 million specifically allocated for content creation. This made me wonder whether Botswana might have access to a similarly compelling budget. Inspired by that idea, I developed the Relay Our Story campaign,” she explained.
She added that she leveraged her immediate network, including Obie Digital, to refine the concept, with initial efforts beginning in November through engagements with the Ministry of Arts and Sport and other stakeholders, though these did not materialise at the time.
Undeterred, her team proceeded with the launch, expressing hope that stakeholders will come on board as the campaign gains momentum. “We have decided to proceed with this launch, recognising that it is neither the government nor potential sponsors who own the narrative; we do. The campaign’s purpose is to appreciate and amplify the sporting fraternity and sell Botswana while stimulating the content creator economy holistically – creating a platform for synergised storytelling, collaboration and monetisation and empowering SMMEs to leverage partnerships with skilled digital creators to market their products,” she said.
The energetic digital native acknowledged the support of NACB, which is currently conducting a creatives’ registration drive, as well as the Golden Grand Prix team, which will facilitate accreditation and access to at least 5 content creators. Additional support has come from BURS and Court 5 Restaurant.
With the right support, Ralefatsana believes Relay Our Story can become Botswana’s defining digital voice to the world, powered by youth, driven by creativity, and designed for lasting national impact. “Relay Our Story is not a concept in development; it is an active movement already mobilising Botswana’s creators, positioned to deliver unprecedented digital visibility for Botswana during the events and beyond,” she emphasised.
