Unpacked With Relebogile
Season 3 SABC3 (*193) 17:00 Talkshow
There’s no topic that’s off limits in local talkshow Unpacked With Relebogile. In each 30-minute episode, radio and TV personality Relebogile Mabotja invites guests on her couch to discuss their experiences regarding subjects that are often deemed taboo, such as surviving domestic abuse, living as a transgender person in South Africa, and overcoming postnatal depression. “Unpacked isn’t centred around celebrities or lifestyle topics,” says Relebogile. “The conversations are relatable, honest and mindaltering. Sometimes we laugh, at times we cry, but viewers walk away moved and having learnt something new.”
Unpacked provides guests with the opportunity to share their stories without judgement. As much as Relebogile asks the tough questions, she highlights the importance of maintaining respect for her guests. Over the three seasons, there’s been a young woman who was unknowingly forced into a toxic marriage by her parents, a man who talked about his adventures as a sex worker, and a woman who murdered her partner in self-defence following years of abuse. “I’d like my guests to understand that we are just two or three people having a chat of mutual trust, acceptance and genuine interest,” explains Relebogile. “So it’s important that I remain sensitive and considerate to all my guests’ realities and truth.”
The show launched on YouTube in November last year, and Relebogile and her team filmed the talkshow from her living room. Soon after, Unpacked was commissioned by SABC3 and it started airing in January this year. “While TV episodes are edited for family viewing and a half-hour slot, the online versions are uncut,” says Relebogile, who’s also the executive producer of the talkshow and is planning a season 4 already.