Kabelo Kgatea

His parents enrolled him at Motsitlane Bantu School in 1969, where he completed his senior primary education in 1976.

In 1979 he was employed on the Rustenburg Platinum Mines, where he completed his Standard Eight through Damelin College in 1984.

He studied Comprehensive Writing with the Writing School of South Africa between 1990 and 1995, and Drama and Public Speaking with Mmabana Cultural Centre (Rustenburg) between 1993 and 1994. In 1998, he enrolled to study acting and production in radio and TV with Sound Advertising Agency, where he passed with distinction.

He has written 14 radio dramas, which have been broadcast by Radio Setswana (SABC) and Radio Mmabatho (BBC) respectively. His short story "Tlhakantshuke" was included in an anthology by the same title, published by Nikita Publishers, and some of his poems have been included in three compilations published by Kagiso. His autobiography, entitled "Go tswa pekeng go ya Peneng", is awaiting publication.

His drama entitled "Mathata a bogosi" took the first prize in the Eulitz Productions Literary Competition in 1997. His first stage play has been included in a volume of plays entitled Ke ne ke so itse, published by Shuter & Shooter, while his anthology of poems, Ngwana wa dikgomo, was published by LZ Sikwane Publishers.

In 2000 Kabelo won the Silver Prize in the Sotho language category for his novel Njeng manong fo ke sule! (Devour me, vultures, when I'm dead!). In 2001 this novel was also awarded the N-Net Book Prize (Sotho category). When he won the Sanlam Prize in 2000 he was still a single drum winder operator at Anglo Platinum mines in Rustenburg. Winning this prize contributed to his being promoted to communications and HIV/Aids officer.

Kabelo was invited to attend and talk about his work at the conference of the International Research Society for Children's Literature that took place near Warmbaths, Limpopo Province in August 2001. In April this year he was invited by die Department of Foreign Affairs to attend the 8th Dakar International Book Fair in Senegal.

He completed his diploma in Business Communications with the correspondence college Standford in 2001 and is currently studying for his diploma in Journalism and Media Studies at INTEC correspondence college.

In 2002 Kabelo won another Sanlam Silver Award for Youth Literature for Leba Seipone.

He is married to Sechongwang and they have two children. They live in Rustenburg.