Botswana Operating env ironment Botswana has traditionally been regarded as one of the stable countries with a conducive and enabling environment for media freedom. Freedom of expression is enshrined in Chapter 12 of Botswana’s Constitution. Coalition (AfDec) – MISA Botswana conducted trainings with other NGOs on the use of digital platforms and how they could harness the sector to spread their footprint, communication and engage with stakeholders. The second engagement will be with members of parliament to discuss the role of the media, benefits and how they could assist grow the media in Botswana. On the surface the country seems to have a relatively free and diverse media environment. However, in practice Botswana’s past and current leaders have failed to recognise the importance of freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens. Botswana is one of the countries in the region that is yet to enact an access to information law and this belies its perception as the citadel of freedom of expression and of the media. The country still has a Sedition Law in place, which has a chilling effect on freedom of expression and of the media. MISA Botswana needs to position itself to attract funding from donors as it faces competition from other organisations that have benefited through projects that could have been carried out by MISA Botswana. Challenges MISA Botswana continues to face challenges in accessing funding to meet operational needs. The organisation has embarked on a recruitment drive to attract new subscribers. The process has been slow, but the results are beginning to show. The decline in advertising revenue in private media from the government has been a challenge for the last decade. Media houses are losing experienced reporters because of low salaries and bad conditions of service. There is a new phenomenon known as “media capture” by powerful influencers in the economy. MISA Botswana has noticed that some media houses are targeted and used to write stories in support of certain or against certain individuals due to the scourge of brown envelope journalism. The issue is complicated as evidence is hard to get and no one is really coming out to challenge the activity. Projects MISA Botswana has managed to get some funding to carry out training and stakeholder engagement activities. MISA Botswana held a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Media Training. This was a week-long training for media practitioners. MISA Fundraising and Regional Campaigns Coordinator Nqaba Matshazi speaking at the Africa Forum in Namibia ahead of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day Commemorations. African Declaration on Internet Rights and Principles MISA Regional 2021 Annual 2021 Report 11