Local accent fascinates SA television industry
Government urged to facilitate industry growth
The South African television and film industry is intrigued by Setswana spoken in Botswana. A number of top South African industry experts are captivated by the richness of the language. While Setswana is widely spoken in South Africa, the fascination with Botswana accent is evident. One of those who just cannot get over the beauty of Setswana is none other than Dingaan Siyabonga, who plays the role of James Motsamai on Muvhango. Siyabonga was in Gaborone on Saturday for open auditions.
Taking time out to talk about his insights about the auditions, as well as the evolving industry, he was very candid about his love for Setswana. He is not the only one who loves Setswana. Muvhango executive producer, Duma Ka Ndlovu is also enthralled by the language as seen on how he has taken a keen interest in casting Batswana thespians. The late Shona Ferguson and his wife, Connie Ferguson had seen that there was a gap in the market for authentic Setswana. In many of their productions through Ferguson Productions, the power couple were always displaying the language. In productions such as The Queen, where the Late Shona acted as Detective Maake, a man with many abilities, and their other productions that include Rockville where Connie played the role of Mavis, they were always proud of their home language, displaying its beauty. Speaking in the interview, Siyabonga shared how the producers could have easily cast other Setswana speaking South Africans but that they, the producers, were looking for something different.
“You guys have a beautiful language, and I think that you take it for granted as you grew up speaking it. For TV and listening to that language, it is beautiful and we love it, that is why we are here,” he said, emphasising that if they wanted just Batswana, they could have easily auditioned in Mafikeng or Johannesburg.
“We want pure Batswana that is why we want the authentic language from here. We could have easily cut corners and held the auditions in Mafikeng which would have been cheaper to do,” he adds.
“But we are not looking for those,” said Siyabonga, highlighting that Otlaadisa was already tapping into the beauty of Setswana but that he lacked support.
In other news, he shared that the changing landscapes in the television and film industry meant that there were many streams such as Netflix, Showmax, and Prime Videos where productions can be streamed.
Jwaneng is slated to come alive this April with the inaugural Jwaneng Wine Experience. The event will take place at the Debswana Ball Park Ground next to the Debswana Club, on April 2nd. The event promises to revive the economy of the mining town and offer residents and those who use the Trans Kalahari Highway enroute to various destinations with an event unlike any other. Offering wine connoisseurs and those who are still learning their way around Wine etiquette, revelers will be treated to some of the best wines. Beyond sipping and familiarizing themselves with wines of their choice, they will have the opportunity to learn and be schooled on which wine goes with which dish.
To keep the revelers on their feet, dancing the night away, an array of local artists are on the line- up. And they include Nnunu Ramogotsi of Mmasonoko fame, Ancestral Rituals who will set fire to the stage, Khoisan, Motlha, as well as DJ’s who include Boogie Sid, Daveboy, McD, and TH. s. Tickets to the event start with a standard ticket of P250, inclusive of six tasting coupons, 1 bottled water and cheese tasting. The second package is the VIP ticket for singles for P600 inclusive of branded tasting glass, 8 tasting coupons, 1 bottled water, finger food snacks, cheese and biltong bites as well as VIP parking. Last up is the VIP package for couples which is P1100 inclusive of 2 branded tasting glasses, 16 tasting coupons, 2 bottled waters, dinner snacks for two, cheese and biltong bites as well as VIP parking. Tickets can be purchased at Cresta President Hotel, Cresta Lodge, and Cresta Jwaneng Hotel. This past Thursday, the media were treated to mini wine tasting event. Giving them a glimpse of what clients and revelers can expect at the upcoming event, the event promises to take some to days before the Covid- 19 pandemic, when Wine tasting events were the lifestyle trend. The event was the right pace setter to what is to come.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Cresta Marakanelo, Mokwena Morulane, pointed out that they decided to tap into this market of wine tasting events as they want to showcase the different wine offerings available in the Botswana market.
He also said that this was necessitated by the fact that they have observed over time that some people have limited knowledge about wines and food pairings of the two. The event, he notes will also showcase the wine offerings that they have on offer at their Cresta Marakanelo chain of hotels.
According to Morulane, the wine tasting event is eyeing the corporate market, and anyone who has in- depth knowledge about Oenology. “Gastronomic tourism is a way of promoting different cultures, and bringing people and traditions closer together,” he explained.
Through the event, he explains they hope to create an environment of networking and entertainment for the corporate client outside an office or conference set- up.
The event has partners that include Distell, Lengau wines, Benju, Hydrate, G4S, Barloworld Motor, and Parmalat.