How Ziigie.com Built Botswana’s First Online Marketplace for Artisans

Introduction

In Botswana, many skilled artisans craft chocolates, jams, handmade handbags, and more, but reaching buyers beyond local markets felt almost impossible. In 2017, Tshegofatso Tlhong recognized this gap and set out to connect craftspeople with customers across Southern Africa through a unified online marketplace.

Facing the Trust Barrier

From the start, the biggest hurdle was convincing artisans and customers to trust an online platform. Sellers would only join once they saw other vendors in place, while buyers feared sharing credit card details or not receiving their orders. It was a classic chicken-and-egg trap that had to be broken from both ends.

Building the Platform with WooCommerce

Without a technical background, Tshego chose WooCommerce on WordPress for its simplicity and flexibility. Learning its dashboard allowed her to add products, manage orders, and access sales data without coding guesswork. She set up basic shipping rules, tax settings, and redesigned her site to highlight local craftsmanship.

Overcoming Payment and Delivery Concerns

Understanding local payment habits was next. Ziigie.com now offers direct bank deposits, PayPal, and mobile money—the latter used by most customers in Botswana. The team sends manual confirmations for mobile transfers, while a detailed privacy policy and a clear physical address on the website address customer anxieties about security and after-sales support.

Offline Outreach and Community Engagement

Online channels alone weren’t enough. Ziigie.com handed out coupons to social media influencers, took part in crafts markets, and spoke directly with potential buyers and sellers. These face-to-face interactions humanized the brand, broke down digital barriers, and triggered word-of-mouth referrals that fueled both vendor sign-ups and customer orders.

Speeding Up Site Performance

Initial load times were slowing visitors down. At an eCommerce conference in Cape Town, Tshego met WooCommerce developers who shared best practices for caching, image optimization, and hosting tweaks. Its been a journey, but site speed improvements have led to a smoother experience and fewer abandoned carts.

Essential Plugins for Growth

To support future international sales, Ziigie.com added a currency converter widget that displays prices in local currencies. The team also relies on analytics tools that pull data from WooCommerce, helping them to segment customers, track order patterns, and adjust marketing campaigns accordingly.

Key Results and Next Steps

Today, the marketplace hosts over 30 vendors offering artisan chocolates, hair care products, jams, handbags, books, and decorative crafts. With a speedier site, flexible payment setup, and a growing sense of trust among customers, Ziigie.com is now preparing to integrate MyGate for local currency support and to automate mobile money payments through providers like Orange Money.

Advice for New Entrepreneurs

Education is vital. In regions where digital shopping is new, invest time explaining the checkout process, expected delivery timelines, and your refund policy. Build confidence by listing a physical address and being present in local events. And choose a platform that you can control—so that you don’t depend on others to make simple updates.

Looking Ahead

With interest growing in eCommerce across the Global South, marketplaces like Ziigie.com point to a future where handcrafted goods can reach buyers anywhere. By combining an easy-to-manage platform with hands-on outreach and patience, you can connect producers and consumers in ways that weren’t possible a few years ago.