Who will preserve traditional poetry and song?

In the past poets were considered masters of the spoken word in the Tswana society and were held in high regard. For one to earn respect as a good poet, she or he would have been able to exploit all parts of speech such as metaphors, similes and personification. A poet of note was the one who was able to elaborately paint pictures with the spoken word. He or she would have been able to throw in catchphrases in his or her recitations in order to score points with his or her audience.

When he was in Botswana, anthropologist, Isaac Schapera, was able to preserve some of the Setswana praise-poems of yesteryears in a book that is called Praise Poems of Tswana Chiefs, which was published in 1969. The likes of Ponatshego Mokane and Sekokotla Kaboeamodimo became some of the respected poets of their era.