A Crown Gospel Awards nomination, a new single and a free worship experience are putting Sesame in motion. But behind the milestones is a bigger mission: getting Botswana’s gospel artists out of the shadows and onto the international stage.
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Botswana has no shortage of anointed voices. What it does have is an industry struggling to give those voices the financial backing they need. Gospel singer Sesame Baingapi-Khofi, popularly known as Sesame, wants to change that conversation and she is not waiting for the local industry to catch up.
Fresh off the release of her single Leseding, Sesame has earned a Best of Africa nomination at South Africa’s Crown Gospel Music Awards 2026, adding another continental milestone to her musical journey.
TALENT NEEDS A PASSPORT
Having previously received a Crown Gospel Music Awards nomination in 2023, Sesame knows that international recognition does not simply fall into an artist’s lap. It takes initiative, a recorded body of work and the confidence to knock on doors beyond Botswana.
“Opportunities are available outside Botswana and as artists all we need to do is to seek them out,” she told Time Out.
But she is not pretending the journey is easy. The biggest obstacle, she argues, is money. While musicians in some countries can invest in their craft full-time, Botswana’s gospel artists often have to contend with an industry that cannot reliably put food on the table.
“I know a lot of talented people, who are also anointed but we dont have the money to record our songs,” she says.
For Sesame, it is a sacrifice to pursue gospel music in Botswana, where passion alone cannot pay studio bills.
NO TICKET TO HEAVEN
Her response is to make worship more accessible. On 4 December, she returns with the second edition of SoldOutForChrist, a free gospel gathering bringing together ministers from Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The line-up includes Minister Spokes, Takalani Chairo, Katleho Seobi, Fifi Sibanda, Seako and Minister Leo, alongside other local gospel performers.
The event follows its inaugural edition last December and is Sesame’s way of giving back to audiences who have supported her ministry.
“Funds shouldn’t be a limitation,” she says.
Ultimately, Sesame wants her music to do more than fill worship spaces. She wants it to lead people to Christ while encouraging fellow Botswana artists to stop playing small.
The message is clear: the talent is here. Now it needs the investment, visibility and courage to travel.