they’re not losing a moment to host events
DUMISANE NCUBE
It’s been a month and a couple of days since music promoters were given the thumbs up to host events without the hindrance of the State of Public Emergency (SOPE) that ended on Botswana Day (September 30) after nearly two years without a gig countrywide.
In that period, many artists and other entertainers were driven into poverty, compelling some of them to sell what they had to survive. However, since the re-opening of the nightlife economy, most promoters are back in action hosting events, though some are still struggling.
Young events promoter, Godwin Sebina of Exotic Entertainment, told this publication. “The road to recovery is clearing. It’s been a couple of weeks and some of us have managed to host events but others are still struggling. So it is relief for some and still a bumpy road for others. Remember we have been unemployed for the past two years during which exhausted our savings. Corporates are still not sure about injecting funds into our festivals because they fear that events could be banned again.”
Sebina added that the money that some promoters are making is being used to settle debts incurred during the state of emergency. It has emerged that some of the promoters have resorted to collaborative gigs to support each other so that as many of them as possible may get back on their feet.
At the Botswana Entertainment Promoters Association (BEPA), the organization’s president Gilbert Seagile says the rate at which promoters have been hosting events since they were given the green light to do so is impressive. “I can see that guys are putting in the work,” Seagile said in an interview. “As promoters we are in a happy space at the moment because we are back at work. The past months have been some of the worst that we have ever experienced.”
Since the return of music festivals, promoters have not lost a moment to host events. Nightspots have been busy almost daily except for days perhaps for Mondays and Tuesdays. It is different from previous years when events were mainly month-end affairs.