Ms Keobokile Breaks Through The Cemented Boundaries of Botswana Filmmaking

She is one of this country’s hardworking producers having produced shows that air in the national television. Otsile V Keobokile, the founder of Walker production, a product of Botswana’s biggest Media and film school – Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) has thus far made the university proud by her successful productions in a country that still suffers growth in the Film and Television industry.

Born in 1985 she grew up in Gaborone and studied in the city from her primary level to tertiary where she studied an Associate Degree in TV and Film Productions from 2008 to 2010 at LUCT. After finishing her studies she went on to work at Baboneng Film Productions where she was an Assistant Producer for two years. After working with Baboneng she went and worked for Duma FM as radio presenter and content producer from 2012 to 2015 before she became correspondent for an international news agency, Xinhua News Agency in 2016 till 2017. Having acquired that much experience not only as a Film producer but in the general media as well she felt she was ready to be her own boss and produce her own productions, in 2017 Walker Productions was born.

Walker Production produced some programs that aired in the national television, BTV like The Business Kraal and Check Up which was a health magazine and so many others. These are not the only shows that Otsile has produced which aired on BTV, before she started her company she produced a documentary, “Snakes of Botswana,” a talent seeking show, Gemstones and a feature film, A Lerato ke Lone leo all of which were for the station. She said in the interview with CW magazine that she has also worked with an American producer to film a Baha’i Blog studio session that was meant to promote different artists in the SADC region. Her company is also currently working on a documentary that focuses on acknowledging and celebrating those who have served this country. The show is called THE STORY and they have managed to interview the former president Ian Khama among others.

Otsile says that working in this field of industry has not been easy especially in Botswana. In a country still growing at a slow pace in the film industry, funding for projects has been difficult for her as they find it hard to source out funds. This has been even more difficult for her company as it is upcoming and without enough experience for companies to confidently offer financial assistance.  Selling and marketing the products as well is a huge challenge as BTV is the major local buyer of content but does have their own trusted producers so for her company it has also been difficult to market amidst fellow more accomplished competitors.  She says that one requires to have networks and know people in order to get through in this industry.

Being a female film producer and even when she was still a radio producer too was a challenge as there has always been a lot of men dominating the industry. This was especially difficult when she was producing sports programs as there is always a stereotype of sports being a men’s thing. She says they would “block” her once they felt threatened by her successful work in the field, since she has always had some knowledge on sports issues she did good but they made it difficult forth which she ended up quitting or would have to work but not to her level best. She says however the challenges where for her as a female producer she managed to excel and be where she is today.

Her production company is currently working on the “THE STORY” and she says that she intended to have stations like Now TV buy and air the show. She says that she also hopes that international productions like BBC Africa would buy her content and documentaries.