Goaboane Bantsi, known in rap music circle as Zeus, has revealed he is in the works of a climate change docuseries that will define Batswana’s perceptions of climate change.
The award-winning rapper said in an interview with The Telegraph that the idea about his new series is first and foremost to understand the status quo and get a picture of where Batswana are and define what climate change means to them.
“The whole idea of the film is to get a more local and unique context. I think it’s very important to frame climate change in a national and regional manner,” the rapper said.
Bantsi explained that “at the core of the series my main objective is adaptation and mitigation strategies across different thematic areas that we will be exploring.”
“From climate change and the different industries impacted by it or influence it, to those that even drive it. “From energy to transport to water, agriculture. There are so many areas to explore that need to be prepared for the changing conditions that will make it harder and harder for certain spaces,” Zeus said.
The 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow added that there are opportunities in the form of adaptation and mitigation strategies.
“So that is something I want us to explore. Over and about industries and individuals, I want to share something that inspires people who are in the space. We have so many young innovators in Botswana, and I think they need to see the possibilities of a green economy and whether it can fit our context,” Bantsi said.
In terms of when the series will premiere, Zeus said, “the minute we have sponsors confirmed so that we can begin taking up the slot that we have got at Botswana Television (BTV).” So far, what is complete is the pilot, not the entire series. “Essentially, we did a pilot, and it pilot was approved by the BTV commissioning board, and hence now going forth we need to produce the rest of the 13 episodes to fill the first season,” the rapper said.
Having already secured a slot on BTV, Zeus said, “as a target market for me it makes a lot of sense because climate change is a national issue and it affects all of us, and I think it’s crucial for all stakeholders from the public to decision-makers and the private sector to have access to good information and see opportunities.” He mentioned that BTV enjoys a lot of eyes on screens and is the ideal medium for broadcasting the series.
One of the key stakeholders on board the making of the series is the Botswana Climate Change Network. “From inception, when I approached them with the idea to do the pilot, they were very keen, and I am appreciative of the fact that they are eager to explore practical steps to mainstreaming ideas that I think too often live in conference spaces and workshop spaces, in official spaces,” Bantsi said.
He said the reality is that for there to be change and impact such messages must resonate with the masses. “They must be made palatable for everyday citizens. People these days don’t read lengthy articles. Most people would be comfortable sitting down to watch a 20-minute episode that gives them insight. It’s crucial that we move with the times and the platforms that audiences gravitate towards,” Zeus said.
Quizzed on what he is also working on, the rapper said one of the biggest tasks right now is getting up his website. “That is going to be the platform I drop the Draking mixtape which we’ve already teased with a couple of songs on social media,” Zeus said. He described the experience as exciting experience, in terms of revisiting a strategy that they used in the past with the Honey I’m Home mixtape. “The tape was for free and was dropped again on the website, and I feel we should have gone on to build that digital real estate. I’ll be sharing news of when we go live with the website,” Zeus said.
