Traditional living

Historically, Botswana was a nation of livestock farmers, with communities settling near reliable water sources and keeping cattle, goats, sheep and chickens.

Village settlements had a kgosi (chief) and kgotla (a meeting place where social and judicial affairs were discussed).

Traditional village houses (ntlo) were round thatched huts made from mud bricks plastered with soil and cow dung, decorated with exterior designs.

Modern living

With Botswana’s economy rapidly modernising, many have migrated to the towns and cities. Sometimes children are left in village communities to be raised by family members.  Extended family networks are an important part of Botswana’s society.

Today, houses are mostly rectangular and made from cement and breeze blocks with metal roofs.

Staple foods

Botswana’s traditional local dishes use sorghum or maize as their basis, prepared as a porridge (bogobe) or pap.  This staple is accompanied by servings of meat such as seswaa (a salted stewed beef) or vegetable sauces such as wild spinach or pumpkin.

Other popular local dishes include serobe (made from goats, sheep or cow lungs and intestines) and recipes which use imported bread-flour such as matemekwane (dumplings) and magwinya (fat cakes).

A wide variety of vegetables are grown commercially, including beans and groundnuts.  Melons are especially popular in Botswana.  Local varieties include the lerotse or lekatane and watermelon, which are believed to stem from the wild tsamma melons of the Kalahari region.

Home brew

Beer is a popular drink in Botswana, with cloudy local varieties fermented from sorghum, maize, millet and wild fruits or berries.  But beware!  Some home brews have extremely high alcohol content.

For something a little less strong and non-alcoholic, ginger beer is often served at family occasions such as weddings and funerals.