When Derrick Musa was elected president of the Botswana Golf Union (BGU) in February 2024, few could have anticipated the breadth of his ambition. Nearly two years into his tenure, Musa speaks with a mixture of realism and optimism — the measured tone of a man who knows that reforming golf in Botswana is neither a sprint nor a single swing.
“We’ve experienced some successes and challenges,” he says in an interview. “We successfully hosted the AGC Region 5 tournament last year and have seen a few of our junior golfers progress into the World Amateur Golf Rankings — Lone Masalila on the men’s side and Loapi Chokwe on the ladies’ side. But the biggest challenge is getting sponsorships and funding to drive our programmes.”
That tension — between promise and constraint — defines much of the BGU’s story. On one hand, there’s growing international exposure, signs of youthful talent, and a renewed vision for inclusivity. On the other hand, the familiar obstacles of limited funding and uneven infrastructure persist.
Building a national team worth believing in
Musa’s blueprint for Botswana’s national teams is both developmental and patient. “Our men’s team did not fare well in the Region 5 tournament, finishing seventh out of eight,” he concedes. “But it was a relatively young team, and we want to build on their performances and support them to grow towards the 2026 competitions.”
The women’s team offered a glimmer of progress. “The ladies did fairly well at the All Africa Ladies Championships, finishing 10th out of 20 teams. It’s again a youthful team, and we expect them to continue to progress.”
In an era when financial constraints often dictate ambition, Musa’s focus on exposure is deliberate. The BGU has been working to send players to regional tournaments to gain experience. “We had Chokwe and Tuduetso Onyadile finishing a respectable fifth and sixth at the Zimbabwe Ladies Amateur Championships,” he says proudly. “The challenge, of course, remains lack of funds to send them to more regional competitions.”
That refrain — lack of funds — echoes through much of the conversation. Yet there’s no sense of defeat. Musa speaks like a craftsman who understands that even small strokes can shape something lasting.
The women’s game: Building from the ground up
Women’s golf has long struggled for visibility in Botswana, but Musa and his executive have made it a strategic priority. “Yes, we are aware of few women taking up the sport,” he says. “It’s a focus area in our strategy, and we have developed a Women’s Golf Charter which we’ll implement to attract more women to play.”
He sees youth development as key to long-term change. “Our efforts through the Botswana Junior Golf League, which is run by Delta Sports International, are also encouraging the girl child to take up golf,” Musa adds. “Affiliated golf clubs like Jwaneng and Orapa have started junior programmes and are attracting young girls.”
For Musa, inclusion isn’t a side project — it’s central to golf’s future. If Botswana is to produce golfers who can one day challenge on the Sunshine Tour or even the Olympics, the sport must first grow its base. That means opening fairways that have too often seemed out of reach.
Grassroots development: A new swing
At the heart of Musa’s vision is grassroots development — introducing golf to children who might never otherwise pick up a club. The BGU’s newest initiative, Unleash Your Drive, targets children as young as six, particularly in public primary schools.
“We are implementing a junior development programme called Unleash Your Drive, which introduces kids to the basics of golf,” Musa explains. “We’ve trained about 20 Level 1 golf instructors who will implement this programme. We’ve received a donation of equipment from the R&A and distributed it to some of our affiliated clubs and to Baobab Primary School.”
The model emphasizes accessibility. “You don’t need a golf course to implement this programme,” Musa says with a smile. “Golf clubs, chipping nets, and plastic balls are issued to instructors who provide the lessons.”
It’s a simple but transformative idea — taking golf to playgrounds and classrooms instead of waiting for children to find their way to the greens. The next phase, he adds, will include upgrading coaches to Level 2 and expanding into government schools nationwide.
Taking golf to the people
Accessibility is a recurring theme. Musa’s administration wants to demystify golf, long viewed as a sport of the elite, hidden behind manicured fences and club memberships.
“We are creating awareness by holding tournaments around the country where we have golf courses,” he says. “But we’re facing challenges — some of our courses have been moribund.”
Reviving these facilities, Musa says, is both a logistical and symbolic mission. “We’re working on renewing leases with landowners, though it’s been slow,” he explains. “We’re trying to get Francistown, Lobatse, and Palapye facilities revived and active. Palapye is a totally new development, and we’re hoping to do it in partnership with Morupule Coal Mine.”
He pauses briefly, reflecting on the irony of making an elite sport accessible in a resource-strained country. “Again, the challenge is lack of funding required to maintain courses to playable standards,” he adds.
The role of corporate golf
If grassroots programmes represent the heart of Musa’s mission, corporate golf days are its lifeblood. “Corporate golf days are very popular,” he says. “They are monitored through our affiliated clubs who host the events. Our role is regulatory — to ensure compliance with the rules of amateur status and maintain a positive reputation for the sport.”
But beyond oversight, Musa envisions a mutually beneficial relationship. “We are working on introducing a golf levy which will contribute towards our development funding,” he reveals. “The game of golf at grassroots level should benefit from corporate golf days. These events are important for developing the sport, as recreation, and as a contributor to tourism.”
It’s a pragmatic vision — aligning the glamour of corporate tournaments with the needs of young players learning to swing on dusty school fields.
The sponsorship struggle
Perhaps Musa’s biggest frustration is the difficulty in attracting long-term sponsors. “Our success in getting sponsorship for our programmes is limited — it’s mainly event-based,” he says. “Our ideal position is to secure long corporate partners who can derive shared value in the development of golf.”
He acknowledges that the current economic climate hasn’t helped. “The environment has slowed down our efforts,” he concedes. “But we remain positive and hopeful of a breakthrough.”
His words blend realism with quiet determination — the mindset of someone planting seeds, not chasing miracles.
The dream ahead
Asked what success would look like by the end of his term, Musa doesn’t hesitate. “We want to see more youth playing the game of golf and creating career paths for them — whether as professional golfers, coaches, or administrators,” he says. “Ultimately, we would like to see a Motswana golfer competing on the South African professional tour and eventually representing the country at the Olympics. It’s our dream.”
That word — dream — feels like the right note to end on.
Because in Musa’s world, golf is not just a sport. It’s a story about access, belief, and a nation learning to imagine itself on the green. And if Botswana’s golfing future remains a work in progress, it is — under his stewardship — one that finally feels possible.
