The Maun community was awash with emotion and celebration as friends, fans, and supporters gathered to bid farewell to Botswana’s vocal powerhouse Ontefetse Osego, who is set to represent take part at the America’s Got Talent competition in the United States this September.
The farewell event held at Life Center over the weekend, hosted in a spirit of national pride and spiritual reflection, reached its emotional peak as Osego took to the stage draped in white.
Accompanied by his backup singers and framed by a glowing projection of a cross behind him, he delivered a soul stirring performance. The drums rumbled, a piano clinked softly in the back-ground, and Osego raised his hand to the sky. In a declaration of faith, sending a strong message with the performance of “With God, everything is possible,”.
In a post-performance interview, Osego was visibly thrilled about the upcoming opportunity. “I feel so great because I know I will be opening a door for another Motswana. After me, there should be someone,” he said, his voice brimming with purpose. “I will be opening a company in our talent category, the vocally sensational Motswana.”
Osego’s journey has not been without its milestones. He fondly recalled being selected out of 2,000 hopefuls to sing with the Channel Gospel Choir in South Africa in 2019. “I was the only Motswana who just fulfilled, I’ve just passed every test,” he said. That same year, he sang at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration. Earlier still, his My Star win in Botswana earned him a scholarship from Choppies to study music in Pretoria.
With America’s Got Talent looming, the singer is deep in preparation. “You know what? I’ve been working on my songs because the first song that I want to audition, I’m aiming for that golden buzzer,” he explained. “That sensational audition. They just press, you know, ‘Well done! Well done to this!’”
Despite the excitement, Osego admitted to emotional challenges—particularly around the lack of support from some family members. “I don’t see support from my family, and I’m not happy about it. But my siblings, they are supporting me since they understand.” He quickly pivoted to express gratitude to his fans and the local music community: “Supporters really supported me. Like I said before, only talent can put food on the table.”
Osego’s faith remains central to his vision. “What God has said or ordained, no man can interrupt,” he said confidently. His vision stretches far beyond the talent show—he hopes to establish a foundation back home. “After me going there, I’ll be coming back to Botswana and we are going to produce more celebrities who are going to have that dignity.”
As for the future, Osego is already dreaming big. “We are going to open an office… we are going to again form our show,” he said with emphasis, repeating the vision like a mantra. “We really want to make money. We want to make 18 million pounds. It’s a record deal… and we’ll use it to go around Botswana doing auditions.”
