Cotton On Group expands into Botswana

10 Apr 2019

Fashion retailer Cotton On Group opened its first store in Botswana recently. The store includes Group brands Cotton On (clothing for men and women), Rubi (shoes and accessories), Cotton On Body (active-wear, intimates and athleisure) and Cotton On Kids (clothing for children up to 10 years old).

Cotton On Group first stepped foot into the African retail market in 2011, opening a Cotton On store in Clearwater Mall in Johannesburg. The region quickly became one of the fastest growing markets for the business, with a store footprint reaching 170 stores across South Africa and Namibia by the end of 2018.

In late December 2018, the Group expanded its African portfolio to three countries by opening its first bricks and mortar store in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, at Airport Junction Shopping Centre.

Job creation

The company says its investment in the region has created job opportunities for Batswana, adding to the existing 2,000+ Group team members across Africa.

Among the guests attending the official opening earlier this month was Botswana Investment and Trade Centre’s (BITC) chief operations officer, Reginald Selelo who is excited by the job prospects for Batswana, as quoted in a recent article on Bostwana Unplugged:

“It is my hope that we will see more of these jobs created for Batswana and thus aid in addressing the challenges of unemployment… I am very excited at the skills transfer that will transpire between Cotton On Group and our people here in Botswana.”

According to the company, the latest multi-brand store offering was designed specifically with the Botswana customer in mind, "providing on-trend product to suit the styles of the locals through quality product at an affordable price".

The Group’s commercial manager for Africa, Jade Tremeer said, “Our offering in Botswana has been crafted specifically for this market. We are excited about the opportunity to change the fashion landscape so that Batswana can enjoy expressing themselves without breaking the bank.”