2 hours agoThe Business Behind the Name: Are local artists building assets or just making hits?

Every weekend, stadiums and festival grounds across Botswana draw millions of Pula through sold-out concerts, corporate sponsorships, and merchandise sales. But behind the spotlight and booming speakers lies a significant economic gap, revealed by data from the World Intellectual Property Organization. Botswana ranks 58th globally in innovation inputs, buoyed by stable public institutions and a sophisticated market, according to its Global Innovation Index report.

Yet, when it comes to creative outputs, the country falls to 116th. Across Africa, national trademark registries account for less than two percent of the world’s total filings each year. At the heart of this disconnect is Botswana’s local music and entertainment industry, a vital source of youth employment that routinely loses long-term value because creators operate without registering their intellectual property.

Understanding intellectual property means looking beyond legal jargon to see how it quietly shapes our daily lives. Every time someone buys a branded t-shirt at a concert, streams an Afro-house track, or supports a local artist, they engage with intellectual property. It is the invisible line that turns a generic product into a trusted brand.

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For established artists like Keotshepile Motseonageng, better known as Berry Heart, this meant protecting her identity as a commercial asset. Moving from poetry and music into retail, hospitality, and consulting under Berry Heart Creations, she showed how brand equity can be monetized across different sectors. “I realized very early that people were not simply buying my music or poetry; they were buying Berry Heart,” Motseonageng says.

“My name had become a promise of quality and trust. Once I saw opportunities extending into fashion, luxury products, and education, it became clear that Berry Heart was no longer just a stage name. It had become a commercial asset that required legal protection.

Your music may introduce people to you, but your protected brand is what creates long-term commercial value across generations.” The Cost of Neglect: Events, Studios, and Regional Lessons “Some people in Botswana are still not aware of the necessity of protecting a brand,” Keagile says. “If your brand, name, or concept is not formally registered, there is a constant risk of another party stepping in and registering it for themselves. We need serious, nationwide education on intellectual property rights and brand registration because awareness is where protection starts.” This oversight is common even among veterans who have spent decades building cultural capital without formal legal safeguards.

Sidney “DJ Sid” Baitsile, a legendary broadcaster and club DJ, reflects on how his generation assumed public recognition was enough to secure a brand. Having built the DJ Sid name through radio, television, and club performances since the early 1990s, he never registered it as a trademark.

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