22 Apr 2026

In the 1990s, Nono Kgafela-Mokoka was a lone lioness in a lions’ den. As a pioneer of women’s boxing in Botswana, she spent years training relentlessly alongside men, mastering the art of the punch. Yet, she eventually retired from the ring without a single official bout to her name. As the only woman in the sport at the time, she simply had no one to spar with.

Today, that ‘boxing giant’ has been awakened from her deep slumber after the Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) appointed Kgafela-Mokoka, now the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, as its patron, solidifying her transition from a solo pioneer to a national leader.

The announcement took place this past Saturday at Molefi Senior Secondary School, the very place where Kgafela-Mokoka and current BoBA president, Dirang Thipe, first discovered their love for the sport.

“As a patron, I pledge my support in advancing the development of boxing and ensuring that it continues to positively impact the lives of many young Batswana,” Kgafela-Mokoka said.

Her history with the sport is deep-rooted. While working as a teacher in 1991, her passion reached its peak. She began training with BDVC (now DTCB), the stable she credits with turning her into a real-time boxer. Her connection to the school is equally personal.

“This is the very soil that nurtured me as a boarding student from Form 1-5. I was not only into boxing. I was also an athlete, doing short sprints, 100m and 200m, as well as engaging in volleyball and ballroom dance,” she recalled.

She added that after tertiary education, she was posted back to the school to teach. “One man, a boxer of note, France Mabiletsa, brought me into the sport.”

When lack of female competitors prevented her from fighting, Kgafela-Mokoka refused to leave the sport. 

“After mastering the art of boxing and having acquired the necessary skill, knowledge and precision, I diverted to the technical side,” she explained.

She rose through the ranks to become a referee and judge at the continental level. By 1997, she had made history.

“I was pioneered as the first woman in the world to become an international boxing referee and judge. The boxing ring was now my home. I started getting worldwide recognition,” she said.

Her resurrection comes at a time when female boxing in Botswana is flourishing, with stars like Lethabo Modukanele and Keamogetse Kenosi leading the charge.

Though she was asked in 1997 to start a women’s boxing league, she was then overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Now, she sees this as her moment. “I believe that the time is now. Interacting with a woman who has been with boxing for many years will encourage more women and girls to join the sport,” she added.

Kgafela-Mokoka remains a firm believer in the power of sport to transform society and protect the vulnerable, particularly regarding Gender Based Violence (GBV) and discipline.

“Gape mo nakong tsa gompieno tse e leng gore re bona GBV e ya ko godimo, bana ba basetsana le bomme ba tshwanetse ba traina gore ba kgone go iphemela. I am not saying they must go around fighting, but they must have an element of self-defense,” she said.

Ultimately, she believes the sport builds essential character. 

With heavy national assignments weighing her down, she will not be returning to the ring to release combinations of jabs and uppercuts.

“I am ready and willing to assist and guide whenever the need arises. I accept it with humility and deep appreciation, especially that boxing is not new to me,” she said. ENDS