By KOPANO MONAHENG
FOR this young artist, choosing passion over a “safe” career was not just a decision. It was the beginning of her own journey to becoming her own boss.
“My parents actually enrolled me to do social work, but I cried that year. I didn’t go because I wanted to do art,” said Kelebogile Marope, born and bred in Ramotswa, Botswana.
Kelebogile is the winner of the 2026 FNB Art Fair. Now in its 19th edition, FNB Art Joburg’s mandate is to support and grow the continent’s cultural offering in ways that go beyond the fair. The FNB Art Prize is one of the fair’s most significant commitments to this mandate.
Everyone know that getting a good-paying job was seen as a form of security back in the old days. That is what many parents wanted for their children. They wanted their children to be happy, but they also wanted them to have a job that could put food on the table and take care of their needs. But nobody could change Kelebogile’s mind when it came to choosing a career.
“At home, I used to draw a lot, but I didn’t realize it was something to have a career in or be something that you could do until my teachers in high school taught me that, hey, you can do something with this,” said Kelebogile.
Her heart was in art. Instead of following a career chosen for her, she decided to follow what she loved. She did not want to spend her life working for someone else. She wanted to take control of her own future and become her own boss.
FNB is not just a bank that cares about the financial wellbeing of its customers, but a bank that believes in giving people a chance to grow, follow their dreams and make something of themselves. From South Africa to the continent where it operates, FNB continues to support people from different walks of life.
When asked how she makes a living from selling her artwork, this is what she said:
“There will be six months where there’s nothing. But you keep on working,” said Kelebogile, adding that there are also good days when the money comes in in abundance.
“I noticed with sculptures, a lot of people were not necessarily buying. So, painting right now in the art world sells more than sculptures or even photography,” said the 41-year-old artist, who abandoned teaching to focus purely on her craft.
She was also grateful for what FNB does for the young pool of talent on the continent. She sells more of her work from the art centre in Gaborone.
