Imagine doing your shopping just before closing time and hearing an excellent tenor voice rehearsing an Italian opera aria nearby.

This was the experience of an enchanted shopper at President Hyper in Fochville, Ina van Vuuren, recently.
After searching for the origin of the superb voice she found Kokosi resident Sechaba Mobote among the aisles. Mobote (25) started singing when he was a learner at Kokosi Primary School and a member of this school’s decorated choir led by Mr Elliot Mualusi.

After his parents passed away in 2014, Mobote went to stay with his grandmother in Lichtenburg.

His excellent voice did not go unnoticed, and he started singing in the church and at school. While at school, Mobote won various trophies at district and provincial singing competitions.

Under the watchful eye of his conductor, Bonny Masilo, Mobote started to develop a love for opera music while being part of a mass choir in North West around 2022.

“I would love to sing opera music for the rest of my life. I would love to see myself wearing a tuxedo,” says Mobote, who not only sings, but can read music as well. The late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti is his favourite singer, and he loves singing some of the arias made famous by Pavarotti.

He returned to Kokosi to stay in his parents’ house and is still part of a group called the Ditshobotla Singers.

Even though opera music is not popular in the Kokosi area, as Clap and Tap is the predominant form of church music here, Mobote wants to start a group to promote opera music.

“There are lots of kids here doing drugs, and it would be great if we could get them singing or conducting to get them off the streets,” he says.

Mobote is currently looking for tenor, baritone, and bass singers to contact him so that they can start developing a group similar to the Afro Tenors.

Anyone interested in supporting his actions, can WhatsApp Mobote on 066 433 5810.