Right at home at Maropeng – Maropeng Ramalepa
“Hi, my name is Maropeng. This place is named after me – I am the trustee of this place.”
This is just one of the ways the ways in which Maropeng Ramalepa introduces himself during his guided tours of Maropeng. It’s a popular gimmick with the visiting children.
“The laughter from the kids is amazing and the questions that follow crack me up,” he says. “Their eyes open wide and they laugh uncontrollably!”
Maropeng, whose name means “return to the place of origins”, was fresh out of high school when he first joined Maropeng, the visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.
“The year was 2007 and I needed to find a job after my father walked out on us,” he explains. “I found a job as an assistant for Maropeng’s heritage event and that was the beginning of my life as a guide.”
Maropeng had previously hoped to become a scientist, but a lack of funds cut short his dream of further studies. Working at Maropeng as a guide, though, means he is still working in the field of science, he says.
Being part of the Maropeng family has given him the opportunity to interact with multilingual people and make friends. But it is the children that really make him smile; he is particularly fond of the little ones, who laugh uncontrollably at his jokes. “I love seeing their faces light up and the questions that follow,” says Maropeng.
A typical day in Maropeng’s life starts at about 09h00, when he has breakfast and checks how many tours he has to take. After a day spent taking visitors around the Visitor Centre, he returns home to cook and sleep.
Maropeng is driven by the desire to make his brother and sisters proud of him. “I work hard to do the best I can for them, because they are all I have,” he says.
His siblings were particularly proud when he appeared on television during the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Maropeng appeared in Chase the Makarapa, a month-long reality adventure series that was shot for the international soccer event.
Maropeng’s colleagues describe him as a naughty, funny man who is bliss to work with.
Marketplace supervisor Kefilwe Mabothla says, “Maropeng is crazy, accommodating and fun, I love working with him.”
Fellow guides Phindi Gumbi and Portia Mogamisi echo the sentiment. Phindi says Maropeng is good at what he does – the kids love him because of his jokes and because he is a sweet guy. Portia describes him as noisy, entertaining and great fun to work with.
In his downtime, Maropeng likes to play soccer, read or attend rap sessions with his friends. In future, he hopes to develop himself so that he can win the national guide award and, hopefully, start his own business too.
