David Moepeng outside the office

When he finally went to New York, USA in 2011, well-seasoned journalist David Moepeng knew his dream had finally come true. He loves the culture there.

“People there are always on the go and I see myself in them. Sometimes Gaborone is too slow for me,” he says of his New York fascination. His type of music, Hip Hop is also from America. He likes the late Tupac Amaru Shakur, of the ‘Dear mama’ fame. He is generally an old school kind of guy when it comes to his choice of Hip Hop artists. His parents separated when he was young but he is thankful that his father’s re-marriage did not create bad blood between them. Hence he can confidently reveal that he has 10 siblings. Moepeng married Naledi, a Botswana Accountancy College Enterprise Management student, in 2010. The couple has a nine months old boy.  “My wife loves the Lord and that above all else makes her my best choice,” he says with a smile, adding that he is also Christian. He loves watching news and thrillers and reads newspapers and business publications.

The newly appointed Yarona FM station manager and businessman likes pap with anything, and he states that he cooks it perfectly. But anything cooked by his wife makes him happy, he says. He used to drink but stopped with time. Credit for this goes to maturity and focusing as a man. When he is not at work, he prefers being with his family. His childhood memories are those of a man who comes from humble beginnings. He was born and raised in Letlhakane, around Orapa area. His family did not own a television set. Along with his primary school-going friends, they would go to Letlhakane Senior School to watch movies with boarding students every Sunday evening. On their way back home, they would demonstrate what they saw, and that alone gave them a sense of fulfillment.
His road to the showbiz started when he was serving his Tirelo Sechaba in Gaborone at BOPA.

He recalls how he used to travel to remote villages and profile them in-depth. His is a story of a man who knows what he wants. He says he never waited for his editors to assign him because he believes journalism is not a job but a calling. “You don’t go into journalism because you are looking for a job. The ball is in your court when you are in it,” he says, encouraging practitioners to own the profession. But again, the passion for reading started when he was in Cambridge. He would pass by Zowa offices to get a copy of the Daily News and read every day. He describes himself as a self-driven man who believes in making things happen. “Set a go, and go for it,” is his motto. His brother Abby Karanku is his role model.

Having fought for young people to have a voice, Moepeng urges the youth to put their ideas into action. He advises them to be pacesetters in their society. Moepeng went through the Yarona FM Management Development Programme, which included his study at Rhodes University in South Africa where he attained two Post Graduate Diplomas in Media Management and Economics Journalism in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

His radio career is reflected in the accolades he has received over the years, among them the prestigious Media Institute of Southern Africa country Radio Presenter of the Year Award in 2006, as well as various awards won by the radio station for news and current affairs programmes over the years.