Mmegi

Botswana hosts second JAAM FEST

Hosting JAAM FEST in Botswana also tells a broader story
Hosting JAAM FEST in Botswana also tells a broader story

On August 9, 2025, Gaborone, Botswana will host the second edition of the Jive Africa Annual Music Festival (JAAM FEST). I co-founded the festival alongside local artists Chedza Pansiri, Kabo Leburu, Oliver the Poet, Solly Sebotso, and Jay-Jay Musi.

From the outset, our goal was simple yet ambitious: to create a space where African creatives can grow, share their work, and thrive—without feeling compelled to seek validation or opportunities abroad.

We launched JAAM FEST in 2024 with a modest budget of P12,000. Despite limited resources, the festival came to life through inspiring performances by the Royal Jazz Band, the gifted visually impaired Zimbabwean keyboardist Musi, and celebrated Botswana artists including Sebotso, Gaolaolwe (known as Oliver the Poet), and Leburu.

Editor's Comment
The Boko-led administration has to tread carefully

‘When you make peace withyourself, you make peace with the world’- Maha GhosanandaThis may come at a huge cost if not handled properly. What started off on Labour Day in Letlhakane this year, where Boko was in attendance when the militant lawyer-cum-trade unionist, Robert Rabasimane rebutted the President’s address in defence of the trade union has seemingly spiralled out of control. The issue is now creating a cat-and-mouse type of a...

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