Radio and TV's coolest "It girl" Petula El Kindiy
Petula Khulman (now El’Kindiy) was born in 1988 in Jwaneng and raised in Selebi Phikwe. She remembers that the town was much smaller at that time. “There was a strong sense of community and we were all close knit,” she remembers. Her fondest childhood memories are of family gatherings whether at the cattle post or family fun days at Moruleng Primary School.
“I have always been surrounded by lots of people, lots of talk and this has strongly influenced my sociable nature.' She admits that all parents want their children to be a doctor or corporate. However, she says her mother supported her love for the arts from the get go. “My parents have been married for over 30 years, and I’m the youngest of four children. We are the Ps. Petra, Petrus, Peirce, and myself. I always strive for what I want, and know I have my family’s support.”
Petula once imagined herself as a lawyer. “I actually applied for Law at the University of Botswana. I wanted work that embraced my love for talking. This however changed in 2006.” In 2002, she performed with a group of her friends on My African Dream, . She showed great energy and vibe, and that was perhaps the start of a love for the entertainment industry.
Petula insists that she makes things happen“I loved perfroming. I wanted to be in front of an audience but back then I wasn’t certain that I wanted to be a radio personality or in entertainment. I heard Robby Rob, Owen Rampha and Jazelle on radio and I became curious, and thought, Hey I wanna do that to,” she recalls.
Her affinity to entertainment comes way back from perfoming alongside and being a back up dancer for artists such as Scar, Vee and Kast. Getting into the industry wasn’t much of a challenge because she was already within the circles, and knew how things work. “When I decided I wanted to be on radio, I literally went into Owen Rampha’s office and told him about my passion for radio. . I was studying Business Administration at UB but I wasn’t about to give up on my radio dream. After training for almost a year, I was finally slotted in the graveyard shift. I was nervous, made mistakes but that is how you learn as a person.”
“I take the bull by the horn – I don’t wait for people to come to me, I go out there and ask for what I want.” Mcing the Botswana Music Union Awards has been the highlight of her career so far. Interacting with crowds one on one is amazing. I enjoyed every minute of it and would definitely be doing a lot more of it in the future.”
Her red vintage dress had many ladies green with envy, and some men gasping for breath. However, look is all the admirers could do... This gorgeous lass has been married to DJ Fauz for a few years. “We are both in the entertainment industry and therefore understand how fickle it can be and how demanding the hours are. We have anopen communication policy which I believe could help many relationships and marriages. We got married young, so we didn’t feel any pressure and still don’t. We are just two people in love and supporting one another in this life journey. To us, marriage is a commitment to our best friend. We spent five years dating, so moving in together, and eventually getting married wasn’t such a huge adjustment because we are good friends and understood each other.”
Balancing running a household with a radio job, Mcing, being a wife and other domestic duties isn’t easy but she has support of a husband who understands her work and shares her joy and successes. Petula anticipates growth for the entertainment industry in Botswana and wants to be at the forefront of showcasing talent. She says she lives and breathes entertainment; music, radio and television make her world go around