23 Feb 2026

Skateboarding has evolved over the years. The art of skateboarding has transformed from a creative alternative to a competitive sport that has now become a fully fledged Olympic sport. Equally in Botswana,  skateboarding is becoming part of today’s culture, with notable breakthroughs here and there.

Local photographer Mosako Chalashika said, despite the growth in recent years, Botswana’s skateboarding scene continued to operate largely on the margins, both professionally and recreationally, with limited global visibility.

Currently, the country boasts of the likes of top skater, Theo Setsetse, who last year earned global recognition after being selected for a three-year World Skate Development Scholarship Programme in the United States.

He said through his three-week exhibition currently showing at the Alliance Française until March 10, the desire was to spotlight Botswana and Africa’s skateboarding culture on the international stage.

Through his photography, he documents Botswana’s skating crews in their raw element, capturing technical tricks such as hardflips, nosegrinds and boardslides, while also showcasing the scene’s distinctive fashion, atmosphere and unconventional skating spots— including bus stop benches and urban public spaces. “It is important not to wait for others to capture and tell our stories. That is part of the reason I am doing this. 

"I want the world to see that Botswana and other African countries have talent and that skateboarding exists here too,” he said, praising the continent’s vibrant and distinctive skating culture.

Chalashika’s decade-long career has taken him across several African countries including; Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal. His work has also appeared in a multi-page spread in the American skateboard magazine Thrasher, featuring Botswana’s skate crew, Knucklehds. Looking ahead, Chalashika envisions a much larger and more structured local skateboarding ecosystem.

He revealed that discussions were underway with the Gaborone City Council to build what would become Botswana’s first dedicated skate park, to be named the Knucklehds Skatepark.

He added that a United States-based skate park-building non-governmental organisation, Wonder Around World , which previously helped construct Nigeria’s first skate park, had already expressed willingness to assist. The timeline for the project is yet to be announced.

Chalashika emphasised the importance of public education about skateboarding, stressing that it should not be viewed as rebellious or delinquent behaviour. 

Instead, he said, the sport offered young people a constructive refuge from social ills and legitimate career opportunities, particularly now that it is recognised as an Olympic discipline. BOPA