SECTOR 2

‘information officers’ not journalists, and don’t claim to write about important
things.”
Other private newspapers include the monthly Economic Express, which is
published erratically. There are a number of local magazines, including the
environmentally focussed Wena, Hotel and Tourism, the youth publication
Lapologa, a farmers’ magazine, and the contemporary state-published magazine,
Kutlwano. New monthly magazine entrants in the last two years include Wealth,
Flair, Architect Design, Peolwane (Air Botswana’s in-flight magazine) and the
general-interest magazine Mahube.
Access to newspapers for citizens is hampered by the cost – they are considered
pricey at the minimum price of 10 Pula (US$1,-), when a loaf of bread costs 8
Pula (US$ 0.80).
Another fact that reduces the people of Botswana’s accessibility to print media
is that they are almost entirely published in English, although some newspapers,
such as the Daily News and Mmegi, have Setswana pages in their editions. The
government radio and television stations, however, broadcast in English and
Setswana. English is the official language of Botswana, although the national
language is Setswana and an estimated 78 percent of Batswana speak Setswana
as a home language. English is spoken by only two percent of the population as
a home language, Kalanga eight per cent, Sekgalagadi three percent, and the
remainder is made up of other languages.
Broadcasting
There are six radio stations broadcasting in Botswana: the government-owned
Radio Botswana 1 and 2 (the latter has more of a commercial focus), and the
private and commercial stations Duma FM, Gabz FM, Yarona FM and Voice of
America. State radio is accessible throughout the country although reception may
be unclear in border towns and villages.
Most of the private radio stations broadcast countrywide and some stations, such
as Gabz FM and Yarona FM, as well as Radio Botswana, have begun streaming
their content over the internet. Podcasting is not very common in Botswana.
There is a domination of the airwaves by the state-owned Botswana Television,
which broadcasts nationwide and is also accessible in the Southern African
region. The privately owned Gaborone Broadcasting Corporation TV (GBC TV)
(now called e-Botswana) only broadcasts in a limited radius from Gaborone.
South African media company Sabido - the holding company of locally based
television station e.tv - acquired 49% of Gaborone Broadcasting Company (GBC).
Viewers can subscribe to the South African satellite subscription service, DSTV,
through Multi-Choice Botswana. The Batswana used to access pirated SABC TV
through the Chinese Philibao decoder, and this has been greatly reduced since

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Botswana 2014

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