14 July 2023
Own Correspondent
Tourist revellers from all over the world gathered at a remote rural village called Sowa Town Friday to participate in the Makgadikgadi Epic 2023, an increasingly popular sports and adventure tourism event with activities such as Skydiving and tandem jumps, Fun Quad biking, horse riding and camping etc.
A key activity was creating opportunities for ordinary people to engage in tandem jumping, which is a skydive involving support from a professionally licensed skydiver at a nominal fee. Those who were brave enough rode a helicopter and engaged in a professionally supported beneath the blue skies before a parachute is opened free fall to facilitate a safe landing.
Boi Sephutho, MRI Call Centre Agent and Emergency Assistant, said “It was the first time i did this and i was very scared when they opened door so i could jump. I wanted to change my mind and was told it was too late.”
She said, “I am somebody who likes to experience things. I thought i was going to die during the free fall but after two minutes i began to relax.”
Sephutho revealed that if you are scared of heights this experience may appear a little overwhelming. She was unusually quick to rebuke the suggestion from the interviewer that her screaming was motivated by fear and averred that it was done spontaneously in a celebratory manner.
“I screamed out of excitement. It was not fear,” she stressed.
90 skydivers participated in the annual event by the Botswana Tourism Organisation(BTO)with 5 local skydivers in attendance. the strongest African contingent coming from neighbouring Zambia, whose group of skydivers showcased exceptional professionalism, which was particularly evident in the way they landed on the landing spot adjacent to the salt pans.
This was in stark contrast to the hesitant performance of BDF military personnel who participated in the exercise. They appeared nervy perhaps because of the pressure of performing in front of the President and appeared to land a little heavily on their feet when they hit the ground.
Otherwise there was a lot of fun and locals who historically are averse to travelling enjoyed event.
Lewa Mmopi, 35 a self employed entrepreneur, said “I am an adrenaline junkie. I have done bungi jumping and Zip lining. This was the last thing on my bucket list.”
He said, “I had an amazing time. I thought i would be nervous but zero. There were no nerves.”
Mmopi’s excitement was evident from his facial expression and manner of speaking. If one did not know he was just seeking unadulterated fun, it would have been easy to single him out as a sales agent of sorts for the event with the way sound bites oozed from his mouth.
Mmopi said, “I am a person who lives on the edge. I feel alive when i do things like this.”
A strong contingent off international professional skydivers also attended the post COVID event. He liked the ambience of the event and the friendly nature of locals at event.
Martin Ropeson, a Professional Skydiver from London, United Kingdom, said “This was part of a bigger trip to Southern Africa and it was the first time i am in Africa. We wanted to do different things.”
He said, “It was a good atmosphere. I had no nerves. I have done more than 2,500 skydives.”
90 skydivers participated with 5 local skydivers in attendance.
