Inside BW Women Sports on Wednesday announced the sponsors for the 3rd annual Vunani Botswana Women Sports Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating excellence in women’s sports and recognizing men who have contributed to the growth of women’s sports in Botswana. The occasion also marked the announcement of this year’s nominees.
Scheduled for March 22nd, 2025, at Lekidi Football Centre, the awards will be held under the theme ‘Towards a Safer Playing Field’.
This year’s awards have attracted a range of sponsors who have donated generously in support of female athletes. Title sponsor, Vunani, pledged P600,000 over three years, providing P200,000 annually until 2026. Other sponsors include Absa, which contributed P70,000; Bomaid with P10,000; FNB donating P50,000; and Exclusive Life Insurance Cover, which provided P45,000. Additionally, Stanbic Bank contributed P20,000; Ace Clothing P7,000; Wawa Catering P3,800; PST P6,110; Tumisang Orebonye P5,000; and the Department of Broadcasting Services pledged P150,000 worth of airtime.
In her welcoming remarks, Portia Mlilo, co-owner of the Vunani Women Sports Awards, mentioned that this year’s theme aims to demonstrate the value of sports in combating GBV in Botswana. “GBV is a global issue, and sports can be a powerful tool to combat it. Athletes should feel safe in their sporting environments. The psychological effects of GBV discourage young girls and women from participating in sports, and we must work to change that,” she said.
She further encouraged more sponsors to come on board, stating that support for the awards would yield significant returns on investment and positively impact Botswana’s sports development.
Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Tefo Lebati, Finance Manager at Vunani, mentioned that as firm believers in sustainable growth, Vunani Fund Managers carefully choose community initiatives that they invest in, paying very close attention to how those potential projects they fund commit to contributing to the bottom-line.
“When we initially invested P45,000 in the then-annual Botswana Women Sports Awards, we were intrigued by the vision behind the project. The passion of the two founders, Kesego and Portia, to elevate women’s sports in Botswana, inspired us to increase our commitment. We saw the potential to make a real difference in recognising and celebrating female athletes who are often overlooked,” Lebati said.
Co-owner, Kesegofetse Okie, expressed disappointment that two of the nine award categories had to be nullified due to low participation. “It’s disheartening that some categories had no nominees or only one entrant, which forced us to nullify them. I encourage athletes to apply because these awards serve as motivation and open new opportunities for them,” she urged.
Of the P520,000 received in sponsorships, P170,000 will be allocated to prize money, while the remainder will cover logistics and other operational costs.
