Boipelo Seleke
Boipelo Seleke was born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana. She is a performance poet, creative writer and columnist, voice over artist, fine artist, actress, tattoo artist and seasoned radio presenter. Boipelo is presently the Secretary General of the interim executive committee in the Poetry and Story-telling Association of Botswana and has been actively involved in the arts since 2001.
She hosts Breakthrough, a Sunday radio show on Yarona FM 106.6, a vibrant urban youth radio station. The show is a platform for the arts and in late 2006 won the Media Institute of Southern Africa: Botswana Edition Radio Programme of the Year Award. The show has featured some of the best poets in Southern Africa; Napo Masheane, Myesha Jenkins, Ntsiki Mazwai, Afurakan, Kgafela wa ga Magogodi, Phehello Mofokeng, Exodus Live Poetry Collective, Kojo, Kabomo, Diseko, Clark.
She has studied for a business administration degree at the University of Botswana, consulted for the Thapong Visual Arts Center and she has recently been working on theatre, acting, and soon a mixed media visual exhibition. She is a regular 'open mic' poet on Exodus Live Poetry and Maitisong theater and regularly performs at the South African High Commission on Steven Bantu Biko commemorations, Freedom Day and Human Rights Day.
In addition, Boipelo recently started her own business, 'MMILO (Pty) Ltd' where she is the Creative Director and Manager. The company is a fully profitable business that manages and markets visual and performing artists, organises and manages arts events as well as recruit, train and mentor artists. Boipelo is managed by MMILO!
As columnist: The weekly column, 'The Sixth Sense' on Echo newspaper.
As poet: She published a poetry anthology titled after her explosively popular poem 'Teng-nyana-teng'. There was also a CD version with music to the poems.
"I have for the longest time been in a space that was entirely not me, although I may have been good at it. The further I run away from the arts the more evident it becomes that this is my forte. Since concentrating my energy on this part of me I have blossomed. My voice is louder and focused, my passion is deeper, and most importantly I have been able to beat a hard path so others can waltz on to their true being. That makes me happy; and this is only the exciting beginning" Boipelo Seleke
