Tutoring Franchise Gaborone

Gaborone has grown from a small administrative town at independence into the country's business and government centre, and the satellite villages around it have grown with it. Families who move to the capital for work tend to put education near the top of their list. For investors weighing up a tutoring franchise in Gaborone, that combination of a growing urban middle class and an exam-driven school system is the starting point.

Success Tutoring has no centre in Botswana. We are seeking franchise partners in Gaborone and a master franchise partner to develop the brand nationally. Territories are drawn together with partners rather than in advance.

Botswana's school system

Botswana's basic education runs from seven years of primary school through three years of junior secondary and two years of senior secondary. Three national examinations, run by the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC), mark the transitions:

• The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at the end of Standard 7.
• The Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) at the end of Form 3.
• The Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) at the end of Form 5, which determines access to university and government sponsorship for tertiary study.

English is the official language of instruction from the upper primary years, while Setswana is the national language. English and Mathematics results carry real weight at every stage, and the BGCSE results are published and closely followed.

Gaborone also has a well-established private school sector. Several independent and international schools prepare students for Cambridge IGCSE and A-level or the IB Diploma, and a number of private English-medium primary schools are in high demand among professional families.

Why Gaborone families look for extra help

Pressure builds around the BGCSE in particular, because results can decide whether a student receives government sponsorship for tertiary study and which courses they can enter. Parents also watch the PSLE and JCE closely as early warning signs.

Other factors add to demand:

• Large class sizes in many public schools, which leave less time for individual attention.
• Language transition, as students who speak Setswana or another language at home move into English-medium learning.
• Working parents in government, mining, finance and retail who want a safe, structured place for their children after school.
• Families in private schools who want extra support ahead of IGCSE and A-level exams.

Much of the tutoring available today is informal, delivered by individual teachers or students. A branded centre with trained tutors and a clear curriculum would offer parents something different.

Areas with potential in and around Gaborone

The capital and its neighbouring villages form one connected urban area. Places worth considering include:

• Phakalane, a northern suburb with estates, a golf course and many professional families.
• Block 6 to Block 10 and Gaborone West, large residential areas with schools and shopping centres.
• The CBD and Main Mall surrounds, where many parents work.
• Mogoditshane and Tlokweng, fast-growing areas on the city's edge.
• Broadhurst and Extension areas, established neighbourhoods close to schools.

We would set each Gaborone territory with the partner, based on residents, school-age children, schools and existing tutoring, and it would belong to that partner alone.

Partnering with Success Tutoring

Success Tutoring began in Sydney in 2017 and runs a franchise network across Australia. For Botswana, the model offers something mostly missing from the local market: a branded, centre-based programme with a written curriculum and trained tutors, where families commit to regular weekly sessions throughout the year rather than paying for lessons in the weeks before the BGCSE.

Support for a Gaborone partner can include the Success Kit and operating system, help securing premises in a busy shopping centre or along a main road, tutor recruitment and online training, learning resources and a structured program, and help planning local marketing before and after opening. Partners have ongoing support from the Success Tutoring team, on the terms set out in the franchise agreement and disclosure documents.

Teaching qualifications are not required. A background in business, finance or management, and local connections in Gaborone, would serve a partner well.

Frequently asked questions

Does Success Tutoring's programme fit the BGCSE?

The programme works on core skills that matter for the PSLE, JCE and BGCSE, and tutors adapt the work to each student's level and exam. How it maps to Botswana's syllabus would be worked through with the partner.

Is Gaborone big enough for a tutoring franchise?

Gaborone and its surrounding villages form Botswana's largest urban area, with many schools and a growing middle class. Territories are drawn around real catchments, with the aim of giving each one a workable base of families.

What laws apply to franchising in Botswana?

Botswana has no franchise-specific disclosure law. Agreements are governed by contract and company law, with competition and exchange rules relevant in some cases. Seek independent legal advice in Botswana before signing.

Read the guide to opening a tutoring franchise in Botswana, see how the process works, or explore our franchise stories.