The verdict in three sentences
For a British-curriculum prep and senior school in Gaborone, taking pupils from the early years to Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels, the website has to reassure Botswana families, diplomatic and mining-sector expatriate families, and sometimes parents considering boarding. The local web agency market is smaller than Johannesburg's, so many schools are really choosing between three options: a Gaborone agency, a South African agency and a fixed-price remote studio. The right choice depends on your need for on-site filming, how the project is governed and what the contract says about ownership of the domain and code.
What do parents of a British school in Gaborone check online?
Each stage of schooling maps to a different parent decision. The site should answer them stage by stage, rather than stacking news on the homepage.
| Stage | Parent decision | Content expected on the site |
|---|---|---|
| Prep (primary) | Class size, pastoral care, activities | A typical day, ratio, activities programme |
| Move to senior school | IGCSE subject choices | Option lists, guidance |
| IGCSE | Results and support | Published results with a clear calculation method |
| Sixth form (AS and A Levels) | University access in South Africa, the UK and beyond | Leavers' destinations, university guidance |
| Boarding (if offered) | Safety, supervision, outings | Boarding page, rules, contacts |
| Mid-year arrival | Places and entrance test | Admissions calendar, documents required |
Two points are specific to schools. Pupil photos, especially of boarders who are minors, need written parental consent and a fast removal process. Pupil and parent data collected through forms falls under Botswana's data protection legislation: keep fields to a minimum and state the retention period and hosting location in a privacy notice. Target WCAG 2.1 AA for accessibility. This is not legal advice.
Gaborone agency, South African agency or remote studio?
The table compares the three usual options with a qualitative view rather than a score, because the weight of each criterion varies a lot from one school to another.
| Criterion | Gaborone agency | Johannesburg agency | Remote studio (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person meetings with the board | Strong: on site | Medium: travel needed, about 360 km | Low: video calls, project manager reachable in your time zone |
| Filming on campus | Strong | Medium: travel costs | Local photographer booked by the school |
| Time zone | UTC+2, same | UTC+2, same | Overlap ensured by the project manager |
| Native English copywriting | Varies with the team | Good | Included |
| Fixed price stated upfront | Rare | Rare | Yes: USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900 |
| Delivery time | 8 to 14 weeks | 10 to 16 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Domain and code ownership | Write it into the contract | Write it into the contract | Write it into the contract |
The last row is identical on purpose: whichever provider you choose, require the domain to be registered in the school's name and the code, text and visuals to belong to the school on delivery.
What budget over three years?
2026 ballpark, based on typical quotes and public rate pages of agencies and freelancers. Pula converted at roughly BWP 13.5 to USD 1, approximate.
| Item | Freelancer (Gaborone) | Local or South African agency | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 25 page prep and senior site | BWP 10,000 to 35,000 (about USD 750 to 2,600) | BWP 30,000 to 120,000 (about USD 2,200 to 8,900) | Growth USD 4,900 |
| Short site (overview, admissions, contact) | BWP 6,000 to 15,000 | BWP 20,000 to 45,000 | Starter USD 2,900 |
| Setswana pages alongside English | Rarely offered | On quote, often subcontracted | Premium USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| Support included | Rarely defined | 1 to 3 months | 3 months |
| Monthly maintenance (market assumption) | BWP 500 to 1,500 | BWP 1,500 to 4,000 | On quote after the 3 included months |
| Maintenance over 36 months (market assumption) | BWP 18,000 to 54,000 | BWP 54,000 to 144,000 | On quote |
A South African agency often adds travel costs for workshops and shoots: include them in the comparison. The full fixed-price offer is on the international websites page.
When is the local agency the better choice?
The Gaborone agency is clearly preferable if your school is preparing an anniversary, a new wing or a fundraising campaign with plenty of video, if the board wants monthly in-person workshops, or if you want a single partner for the website, prospectuses and signage. It also knows what Botswana families expect and the codes of local school communication.
A remote studio is enough when the school already has copy and recent photos, a small team (head, bursar, admissions lead) makes the decisions, and timing matters: a site delivered in 3 to 4 weeks can be live before admissions open.
Questions to ask all three options:
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- Who registers the domain, and in whose name?
- Does the contract transfer ownership of the code, text and images to the school?
- How will exam results be presented so they stay accurate and verifiable?
- Where are the site and form data hosted, and who can access them?
- How long does it take to remove a pupil photo at a parent's request?
- What is the response time if the site goes down during admissions season?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Kgosi, bursar of Notwane College (a fictional name), a British-curriculum prep and senior school with 520 pupils in Gaborone. The admissions office receives about 60 emails a month with questions the site should already answer (fees, uniforms, transport, IGCSE choices), at 12 minutes per reply, so 12 hours a month.
- With a structured admissions page and an FAQ per stage, the school aims for 40% fewer emails: 4.8 hours saved a month, about 58 hours a year.
- Local agency quote: BWP 95,000 (about USD 7,000), one filming day included, delivery in 12 weeks.
- Remote option: Growth at USD 4,900 plus a local photographer at BWP 6,000 (about USD 450), so about USD 5,350, delivered in 4 weeks.
The gap is about USD 1,650. If the board wants a full institutional video, the local agency regains the edge, since that shoot would need a separate budget under the remote option anyway.
FAQ
Should we publish IGCSE and A Level results?
It is not mandatory, but parents look for them. If you publish them, state the year, the number of candidates and the calculation method, for example the percentage of A* to C grades over 3 years.
Can a remote studio work with our bursar and board?
Yes: plan for 3 to 4 video meetings over a 3 to 4 week project. Gaborone is on UTC+2, and at Kolonell the project manager is reachable in your time zone.
How much does a British school website cost in Gaborone?
As a 2026 ballpark, BWP 30,000 to 120,000 with a local or South African agency. At Kolonell, Starter is USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900 and Premium USD 8,900.
Can the parent portal or school management software be connected to the site?
A link to the existing portal is easy to add. Deeper integration (single sign-on, waiting list sync) is priced on quote after reviewing the tool.
What checklist before signing?
Check 5 points: domain in the school's name, ownership of code and content, hosting and data, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, exit terms. You can then request a free quote to compare like for like.
Let's scope your project. A 15 to 25 page British prep and senior school site with a stage-by-stage admissions journey scopes between USD 2,900 and USD 8,900 depending on scope and languages, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.