Nako places Botswana’s heritage on a wrist
Timothy Lewanika | Tuesday May 2, 2023 06:00
Gabriel Mothibedi, who is the maverick behind the classical brand, has set out to join the group of native storytellers using his bespoke jewellery collection to tell the story of Botswana’s uniqueness.
“It behoves us a company to enhance innovation to the global sphere that rides on the bedrock of Botswana’s cultural uniqueness and story,” Mothibedi told Monitor Business.
He said Nako Timepieces is an enterprise from Botswana with a global vision. For the company, their brand is set out to inspire individuals across the world from all walks of life while at the same time articulating the story of Botswana’s enduring greatness.
“Our brand has its roots anchored on the tenacity displayed by the leaders that have come before us,” he said. “We draw our inspiration from the boldness they have displayed in an attempt to maintain the dignity of our nation and the ever increasing desire to allow us as a people to protect our identity.”
Nako Timepieces sets out to continue celebrating the story of Batswana by acknowledging that Batswana are the predominate resource this country is proud of. Speaking on the growth of their products and brand, Mothibedi said for him the outstanding addition was the three Dikgosi Edition, Classic Rattan.
“The edition aims at transforming the iconic tradition of our original classic timepieces into a timepiece fusing Afrocentric and modern designs synonymous with Nako Timepieces’ signature design philosophy of merging innovation and watch making that is proudly African. “No detail was overlooked when designing our Three Dikgosi Edition. “The Nako Rattan bears handcrafted patterns which are characterised by naturalistic shapes and an organic visual flow, which is a pre-eminent necessity of African art,” he explained.
For Mothibedi their success as a brand crucially depends on the establishment of key stakeholder entities such as the eagerly Lobatse Leather Park. This for him is crucial because it will allow them to further their value addition agenda by using locally sourced products.
“The opening of the Lobatse Leather Park and Palapye glass project will be key in allowing us to better tell the narrative of Botswana’s greatness using locally sourced raw materials,” he said.
Mothibedi sees himself as more than a storyteller but a curator who uses watches as a canvas for depicting the story of Botswana’s great cultural heritage.