The verdict in three sentences
A private or international school in Gaborone (CBD, Phakalane, Broadhurst, Tlokweng) should plan roughly BWP 25,000 to 120,000, about USD 1,900 to 8,900, for a redesign with a local agency in 2026, against a fixed USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium) at Kolonell. Diplomatic, mining-sector and local professional families compare schools on concrete things: a typical day, the curriculum explained plainly, the faces of the team. The redesign should therefore tell the school's story better, never inventing results or rankings, and without losing the pages that already rank on Google.
What does a merger do to two school websites?
It is the most common forced redesign. Two schools join, but both websites stay online for months. Parents find two calendars, two admissions processes, sometimes two phone numbers. Google cannot decide between the domains, and neither climbs. Other classic signals: a curriculum page that mentions Cambridge or the IB without saying which phases follow it, staff profiles three years out of date, a form asking for the child's school report as an attachment.
How should the new site tell the school's story?
| Page | Role for families | What it shows | What it never claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| A day at school | Picture it | Timetable, activities, meals, transport, consented photos | Unverified staff ratios |
| Curriculum explained | Understand it | Cambridge, IB or national curriculum, only if actually offered | Accreditations not held |
| Our team | Trust it | Head and phase leaders, with their agreement | Unconfirmed qualifications |
| Admissions | Act on it | Steps, entry ages, calendar, contact | Promised places or outcomes |
| School life | Relate to it | Clubs, sport, recent events | Invented awards or rankings |
| Policies | Check it | Safeguarding, rules, accessible PDFs | Policies rewritten as marketing |
A few Setswana greetings can sit on an English site; a full Setswana version falls under Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.
What budget in Gaborone in 2026?
2026 ballpark from typical Gaborone agency quotes and public rate pages of regional studios, converted at about BWP 13.5 to the US dollar (approximate).
| Option | Range (BWP) | Approx. USD | Handles a two-site merger? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local freelancer | 8,000 to 25,000 | 600 to 1,900 | Rarely, partial migration |
| Gaborone agency | 25,000 to 70,000 | 1,900 to 5,200 | Yes if asked, redirects often incomplete |
| Established or South African agency | 70,000 to 120,000 | 5,200 to 8,900 | Yes, with workshops |
| Kolonell Starter | fixed price | USD 2,900 | For a site of a few pages |
| Kolonell Growth | fixed price | USD 4,900 | Yes, 301 map for both domains included |
| Kolonell Premium | fixed price | USD 8,900 | Yes, multilingual tier |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in Gaborone hours, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support; maintenance afterwards is on quote. Details on the international offer. On quote, line by line: admissions portal, fee payment, SIS or MIS, parent app, calendar feeds, all kept and linked.
How do the 3 to 4 weeks run?
- Week 1: URL inventory of both sites, Search Console export, choice of the final domain.
- Week 2: structure, 301 map, copy for the day-in-the-life, curriculum and admissions pages.
- Week 3: design, WCAG 2.2 AA checks, cookie consent, review by school leadership.
- Week 4: go-live during a holiday, redirects from both domains, then 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring.
Which risks, and which safeguards?
| Risk | Likelihood in a merger | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic loss on the old domain | High | Page-to-page 301s, domain kept at least 12 months |
| Conflicting information | High | One source for fees (if published), calendar and transport |
| Photos without consent | Medium | Consent register, removal on request |
| Children's data in forms | Medium | Minimal form, documents via a secure portal |
| Unverified claims | Medium | Compliance read-through before go-live |
| Outage on launch day | Low | TTL lowered, old hosting kept for a week |
Botswana has a Data Protection Act overseen by the Information and Data Protection Commission; open forms should not collect health, special needs, school report, passport or custody data. Registration with the ministry responsible for education and Cambridge or IB programmes are mentioned only as actually held. This is not legal advice.
When is a local agency the better choice?
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If the merger involves a new logo, a full identity and regular filming on both campuses, a Gaborone or Johannesburg agency that can come on site will be more comfortable. Ask any provider: how will both domains be redirected? Who approves the staff pages? Who updates the calendar after launch?
Mini case study
Illustrative example (fictional school). Mokolwane Riverbend School was formed by the merger of two private schools in Gaborone. The two old sites total 215 URLs (120 + 95), 58 of which received clicks last year.
- Kolonell Growth, a 45-page site: USD 4,900
- Independent videographer for a day-in-the-life film with parental consent (third-party cost): about BWP 10,000, roughly USD 740
- Total: 4,900 + 740 = USD 5,640
- Gaborone agency quote for the same scope: BWP 95,000, about USD 7,000
- Hosting of the two old sites (market assumption): 2 x BWP 300 = BWP 600 a month, about USD 44, retired after cutover
The 58 ranking pages get individual 301s; the other 157 are grouped. Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.
FAQ
How much does a school website redesign cost in Gaborone in 2026?
About BWP 25,000 to 120,000, or USD 1,900 to 8,900, depending on the provider. Kolonell: USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900 at a fixed price.
Should we keep both old domains?
Yes, for at least 12 months, with 301 redirects. Without them, both schools' ranking pages can lose their traffic within weeks.
Can we publish exam results?
Only real results, published by the school and verifiable. The site shows no ranking or figure the school cannot document.
Can pupils appear in the day-in-the-life video?
Yes, with written parental consent for each child and a removal procedure, for example within 7 days of a request.
When should we go live?
Outside the admissions peak, open days and exams: the long December holiday or a quiet mid-year break. Allow 3 to 4 weeks of build before it.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site addresses and holiday dates, and we will return a scope, a fixed USD price and a 3 to 4 week plan. 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.
