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About Me

I am a Sociolinguist and Linguistic Anthropologist, and hold the position of Associate Professor (of Sociolinguistics) at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. I hold a three-year teacher’s diploma, one university degree (an Honours in Industrial/Labour Relations), and three university degrees in languages/Linguistics (a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate). I am also a Language Practitioner (of English and Setswana) and a professional educator (of English and Mathematics) who is registered with the South African Council for Educators (SACE). I am a leading researcher on Sepitori (also known as ‘Pretoria Sotho’), and have presented many papers and published several journal articles on it. Since I pursued a career in academia in 2012, I have presented more than 40 papers/talks in Africa (Kenya and South Africa), Asia (Indonesia), Europe (France, Germany, the Netherlands), and North America (USA) and published more than 20 journal articles.

My research work is on ‘contact languages’ (mainly Sepitori and tsotsitaal), ‘language and identity’, ‘multilingualism’, ‘language attitudes’, and ‘language policy and planning’. In 2008, I published a Setswana novel titled: Maile maila boganana and two Setswana short stories in an anthology titled: Pelo e ganne molora. In 2020, I published a non-fiction book titled: From an obscure village to around the world (Volume 1: Americas). By publishing my work in Setswana (a novel and short stories) and in English (journal articles and a non-fiction book), I have demonstrated my vast conceptualisation and writing skills as a fiction and non-fiction storyteller and a researcher/academic. More significantly, my published work in two languages (Setswana and English) sets me apart (from many academics and storytellers) as a ‘balanced bilingual’ writer – this is a rare skill and achievement in South Africa and Botswana!

I give interviews on radio (since 2009) and on TV (since 2018) mainly on Sociolinguistics and Education topics. Feel free to see a full list under ‘I Share Knowledge‘.

I have fulfilled my boyhood dream of travelling the world. With members of my unit family (wife, Tebogo; son, Thabo Jr.; and daughter, Abakitso), I have been to the following 15 countries: Africa (Angola, Botswana, Egypt and Lesotho); Asia (China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand); Europe (Germany and Poland); Euro-Asia (Turkey); North America (USA); and South America (Brazil). By myself, I have been to the following 14 countries: Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya and Namibia); Asia (Japan, Qatar and UAE); Europe (England, Italy, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands); North America (Canada).

On the whole, I have been to 29 countries in five habitable continents (all except Australia), covering 90 non-South African towns/cities, and landing and taking off at 48 overseas airports. I have also been to all nine provinces of South Africa, and landing and taking off at 9 local airports. I am a globe-trotter! While I reside in Hartbeespoort (west of Pretoria), I am proudly from Maile-Rooikraal (an obscure village near Sun City, North West).

Buying My Books

Memoir (non-fiction): English

Please click on the cover of my latest work below for more information: