Preserving African history through the art of storytelling is the main reason for seasoned radio broadcaster Thabo “T-Bose” Mokwele's new venture as a first-time TV producer.

T-Bose told Sowetan it was nerve-wracking being the co-executive producer for The Ones with Tbose alongside wife Mapaseka Mokwele and close friend Robin Kohl.

Guests for the new Mzansi Wethu show include global superstar Black Coffee and media personality Somizi. 

“What my wife and Robin did was that we took the brief and had to pitch a show that tells African and South African stories by Africans. They wanted a show that wasn’t just for entertainment but for insight as well," he said.

“We believe there is something that inspires everyone’s journey that people can learn from. The kick is, that if we don’t tell these stories, the inspiration is lost. I believe if we open up and tell our stories, the next person will be able to say: ‘Aw, I’m not alone in this’."

T-Bose had a lot of nerves doing the show, but having his wife and friend on the journey helped.

“My anxiety around TV [peaked], as it’s not my natural space, I needed to be surrounded by people I trust,” he said.

“I wanted to feel at ease, that anxiety is not as big as the story that needed to be told. So, I needed a team that would help me achieve my goal. I also needed a team that understood my vision and the end results are amazing.” 

T-Bose highlighted the importance of telling and preserving African stories.

“I saw how important this show is when Johnny Clegg passed on, not so many media houses had footage or material to capture or understand his thoughts and where he came from, they all went to the archives where he told those stories,” he said.

“This showed me that if we do not document our people, their library is gone. Nobody will be able to tell these people’s stories when they are gone. Let’s not forget to talk, it’s what we’ve done for centuries. We are storytellers. That’s how we shared knowledge."