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By Bonginkosi Tiwane

Lifestyle Journalist


WATCH: Will Smith having a blast in Botswana while shooting

The actor has been sharing videos enjoying the wildlife in the Southern African country.


Actor Will Smith has been in Botswana for the past three weeks and he is enjoying his time, despite missing his son’s birthday.

There are a number of upcoming films that Smith is involved in that are currently being worked on. Bad Boys 4, the I Am Legend sequel and Planes, Trains and Automobiles are productions that Smith is a part of. The latter is a remake of the 1987 classic by Steve Martin and John Candy, which will star Smith and Kevin Hart.

It’s not known which of the three movies is Smith working on during his time in the Southern African country. But it has forced him to miss his second oldest son’s birthday. Jaden Smith turned 25 yesterday and his father teased him about not having kids yet, in a touching Instagram post.

“Happy Birthday, J-Diggy. It’s crazy that you’re 25?!?! When I was 25 I had a 2 yr. old… I’m just sayin’… Wha’s up? What you doin’ over there?”

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Enjoying wildlife

The actor has enjoyed the country’s beautiful wildlife in the glorious sunset, as he’s been on a few game drives where he spotted elephants, rhinos and other animals. In typical American, the actor asked the guide if they could ride the elephants.

Botswana has had a number of Hollywood productions shot there. Singer Jill Scott famously shot her TV series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency more than a decade ago, while David Oyelowo’s A United Kingdom was shot there in 2016.

While working on the slew of his upcoming movies, Smith is also promoting a video game. He was announced as the star of Tencent’s free-to-play open-world survival game, Undawn in May. The game uses his likeness. This is Smith’s entry into the gaming landscape

The award-winning actor has kept a somewhat low-profile since his controversial Oscar Awards slap of comedian Chris Rock. Last year, he had the leading role in Emancipation, a US historical action thriller film set in Louisiana in the 1860s after US President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery in secessionist Confederate states.

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