Culture in Botswana

The most intriguing cultural group within Botswana are undoubtedly the San, or bushmen, of the Kalahari desert. There has been so much written and filmed about the San, yet popular ideas about them are more romantic than the reality.

Books like The Lost World of the Kalahari by Laurens van der Post and films like The Gods must be Crazy convey the impression of an idyllic community, untainted by civilisation

The reality is that the San are a people who were (and continue to be) driven out of their lands by the relentless advances of people who do not recognise their right to the land.

The San are not nomads - their family groups have clearly defined territories where they forage. Their survival in places no other people wish to live depends on their knowledge of the land, its animals and plants, as well as their social systems.

The San do not think of themselves as belonging to one group of people, and different family groups speak dialects that might not be understood by other family groups at all. However, they do all have in common a particularly disadvantaged position in Botswana society.

The San are not represented in Botswana's political structure, and hunting and gathering is not recognised as a valid form of land use. As a result, the San in Botswana remain marginalised and many live in extreme poverty.

Enquire now |  Add to my enquiry