Native Lounge fills niche
Katlego Isaacs | Sunday May 22, 2022 04:03
His aim is to reinvigorate tourism in Chobe from primarily servicing the elderly retirees to cater for a younger audience.
Founded in November 2021, Native Lounge was conceptualised as a business aimed at allowing the high tourist traffic in the Chobe region to have somewhere to continue experiencing the beauty of Kasane and traditional native culture in an upbeat late night environment.
“The problem I realised was that tourism businesses in Kasane start up at 6am and grind down around 6pm, thus leaving tourists little to nothing to do here after hours,” Autlwetse said.
“This works well for the elderly retirees that come to Kasane looking to see animals and natural features, but for the younger tourists they’re left with nowhere to enjoy themselves. We wanted to provide a night life after the wildlife,” he said.
Having started a business catering for a niche market during the COVID-19 era would seem like financial suicide to the average entrepreneur. However, Aultwetse notes that he hedged his bets by similarly providing a vibrant nightlife for locals to unwind after hours.
Due to the COVID-19 and international travel restrictions, the business has almost exclusively serviced Kasane locals. However, it was one of the many beneficiaries of the Forbes 30-under-30 Summit having seen a high number of international visitors come to experience Botswana nightlife.
“Having set our standard with Forbes, we’re expecting a high number of international tourists to come in through the winter season. We plan to offer a cultural experience that is completely localised from locals themselves,” he said.
High international foot traffic may be necessary for the business to start picking up after just under P3 million on the establishment and its ‘authentically native’ design and club style, although business floats comfortably on locals enjoying at-home atmosphere that show’s Botswana’s genuine nightlife in an unflattered manner according to Autlwetse.
The club also regards all local performances to further add to authentic nature, with acts such as William Last KRM having previously performed for the venue with more acts such as Vee Mampeezy and Han-C being in communications for possible performances in the future.
The club has also engaged local brewing companies such as Okavango Breweries to provide locally made spirits, lagers and ciders to both tourists and locals alike.
“At the end of the day, we’re looking to create a 24-hour experience in Kasane in partnership with the lodges, hotels and safaris here. We want to bring a nightlife that rivals countries with cities known for their vibrant night scene,” he said.