What started as a simple question on Facebook turned into a 10 minute long conversation with Founder and blogger of The Afrolutionist Boitshepo Motsamai. Have a read on her experience below:
It was last Wednesday when my phone went abuzz with notifications from Facebook about friends (and people i know) mentioning my username in a random status update of someone I only knew as a host for an insert show on the biggest youth radio station in Botswana.
A post from Yarona FM’s Lifestyle cafe’s radio host Mothusi Lesolle created a dialogue of different commenters recommending good bloggers, including those who arent based in the capital city. 3 Likes, and 24 comments later, Mothusi finally contacted me in the evening, of which I didn’t manage to see until 5am the next morning (it’s that wretched Other folder, finally not coming in handy)
I hastily text him back praying to all kinds of ancestors and gods that he would get to see my response,AND he hasn’t contacted anyone else. Though somehow, I was at peace with any outcome.
Finally, after an emergency convening of the gods at 08.56am my phone rang to the tune of a call from Mr. Lesolle, still asking for my availability of the show, I tell him that I am well prepared and can be at the studio in 2 hours.
Knowing the public transport game in the city, I animatedly grab my handbag and coat and dash off to the nearest bus stop, calculating ways i can maneuver the city to the station at the most efficient and effective pace. I hop into the next combi en route to game city, believing that the distance from Kgale to Fairgrounds is much shorter than from city central. I was correct, however I didn’t factor in reckless driving, the amount of people in the combi with me and a sudden sprout of traffic towards one of the few malls in the city. 45 hair-raising minutes later, I dart out of the combi and play traffic roulette trying to cross one of the busiest roads of the city – the outgoing and incoming traffic of the Lobatse road.
Finally 50% towards my destination, I opt for a cab to save what looked like 30 minutes left of me being on air. I ask for cab service from any one of the hustling and boystrous cab drivers that stand at Game City entrace, and lost two minutes to 5 men arguing on who is worthy enough to render service. Verbal hunger games I presume. Finally, on my way to Yarona FM, guess who greets me? Traffic. Traffic. UnservicedTraffic Robots. Traffic. It’s a reunion. To rub salt further in the wound, the paradox approach time was taking to the immovable traffic created more worry – with the network from my service provider denying me my rights to call in to Mothusi informing him I will be there, just slightly before the show begins.
11.10 am, I’m five minutes from the live on air interview but I’m not seating in studio – neither am I greeting the receptionist in Yarona FM. I’m helping the winner of the verbal hunger games look for change so I can pay for his services. Luckily, a petrol attended who saw the stress that became my facial make-up assisted, and I Usain Bolted myself into the Studio.
Arriving at 11.13 am, seated and greeting M.O.G, the radio host and Mothusi we spend close to 30 seconds covering the much-needed first impressions conversation – me receiving an overview of the topic at hand, them getting an idea of my brand. We speak for what felt like 2 short breaths (but was really a 15 minute conversation) on blogging, the general atmosphere of blogging in Botswana and its massive potential to be a joining force in diversifying the economy.
All in all, the experience was great, people more amazing and the studio aura felt like home. I only hope to have such an amazing experience, maybe without all the glitches, once again. Have a listen on the full interview below:
