Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Feature

After almost two decades of Conservative Party rule under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, the dour image of the United Kingdom changed when a young and ‘cool` Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair entered the British state house, Number 10 Downing Street in 1997.

This ushered in a period known to historians as ‘Cool Britannia,` an era of increased pride in the cultural identity of the UK typified by the late 1990s/early 2000s global success of pop band the Spice Girls and English Premiership football, with David Beckham and Manchester United its face.

Britain, stripped of her might by the 1960s dawn of the colonial era and the emergence of the United States as a political, military and cultural superpower now seemed rejuvenated.

Botswana, a country that has spent so much of her post-independence period devoid of pride in her arts, saw a vibrant Thapelo Olopeng appointed the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture in 2014.

Akin to the Blair era igniting a fresh image of Britain, Olopeng has attended to his portfolio with verve, instilling a sense of pride in Botswana, his exploits as a disc jockey (DJ) at functions just the face of his approach.

“I am a fun loving person,” Olopeng tells Kutlwano from the comfort of his workplace, a seventh floor spacious office at the ministry headquarters in the Gaborone central business district (CBD).  “When friends have functions I tend to be in charge of the entertainment, and that`s where the DJ aspect came from.”

In December 2015, Minister Olopeng surprised many by performing as a DJ at a festive season bash in Tonota. 

“That was the first time I performed for the public as a DJ.  Then in 2016, I got a youngster, DJ Chabo to teach me more about aspects of being a DJ.  We had three rehearsal sessions while I was preparing to perform in Lobatse,” he says.

Olopeng, or ‘DJ Tips` as he is affectionately known, has performed in front of large crowds as a DJ, and feels that he can use his performances to instill national pride.

“We had a lineup of purely Batswana performers in Tonota and Lobatse and we pulled big crowds.  As we are leading up to the country`s 50th anniversary of independence I want Batswana to wear national colours and express pride in their country, and as a DJ I hype up the BOT50 festivities,” he says.

Born in Tonota, raised there and in Francistown, Olopeng says he has always been sporty, starting to ride motorbikes at the age of 20, initially two-wheeler motorbikes before moving to quad bikes later.

“I have always been fun loving, and I was engaged in various sports such as football, volleyball, softball and basketball.  I mostly focused on basketball and played for the BDF V team,” he says.

Having spent considerable time in the army as a finance officer and director of point of sales, coordinating the army`s internal commercial operations, he left to become a businessman in the year 2000.

“While in the army I had studied financial management at the Institute of Development Management (IDM) in Swaziland, and I also did Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) studies in London.  In February 2000, I left to pursue my own business, Safari Computers, and spent the first 24 months on a learning curve,” he recalls.

Raised in a staunch Christian family, Olopeng says he was initially opposed to being a politician, owing to some of the vile language used during campaigns in freedom squares.

“But one day as I was passing by Nata, I noticed the huge development that had taken place in that village. I wanted to oversee similar developments for Tonota, so I decided I would contest the parliamentary seat.  In 2013 I won the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primaries and in 2014 the constituency itself.  I stuck to my promise not to use any vulgar or offensive language in my campaigns,” Olopeng says.

As the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC), Olopeng had to face initial resistance from people who believed that having been a friend of the president from their army days, this was a biased appointment.

“Yes, people said that I am an army man who knows nothing about sport.  But I perform better when I am criticised and I have gradually won over some of those who were initially cynical.  I took a bit of time learning about how the MYSC works, went on a familiarisation trip to Ghanzi, and started focusing on policy issues,” he said.

Olopeng has had phenomenal success as minister, overseeing the increase of access to youth grants and the promotion of various cultural aspects such as music, dance, poetry and visual arts.

“I want our artistic people to grow into the international market.  Recently, our Botswana stall was voted number one at a fair in China, and I took advantage of that opportunity to inquire about setting up a Botswana cultural shop in China, which could be used as a vehicle for our artistic products to reach the Chinese market,” he says.

“As for sport, I believe it should be professional,” he continues, with an intimation of passion about his speech, “but we need to start by producing quality athletes, and for that to happen we need to invest in development, improve our centres of excellence.”

The demographics indicated by the 2011 population census point to Botswana being a nation of mostly young people, and DJ Tips is one minister who speaks the lingo, and walks the talk of this salient majority. ENDS

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