The 7 Wonders of Botswana

There is plenty to enjoy in Botswana; Clear skies, breathtaking sunsets, gusty and dry breezes, hot climate, over-optimistic sun’s glare….. Not forgetting flat plains of a smooth expanse of clear sands- canopy of sand dunes mark the horizon, with their shadowy and billowing presence. That is but just a glance of the vast expanse of Botswana…..

Mostly people come to see the stunning beauty of The Okavango Delta, the eerie  Kebokwe’s cave and its dark and mystical stories as narrated by folktale, the magical Gcwihaba Caverns, the awesome footprint of Matsieng, Makgadikgadi Salt pans, and the Monument of the Three Chiefs -who are the forefathers of the  land’s history

As a native of Botswana, I have a lot to say about my country of birth, and in effect- Africa as a whole. However, the discussions will be restricted to Botswana, its past, its present. It’s essence. We all know something about our past, and the history of our own families. We more often than naught, know where our parents and grandparents came from and what they did to survive.

We are also privy to where they were born and something of the group we belong to. In times past, we learned our history from old people and in initiation schools called bogwera (for young men) and bojale (for young women). At these schools learners were taught of their origins- be it their leaders, their groups, as well as long poems known as praise poems or maboko, which tell of great events. These kinds of oral history, marked the knowledge of my people- long before books were written.

This Land Called Botswana

The Republic of Botswana, formerly Bechuanaland, achieved independence in 1966, emanating from a British protectorate since 1885. It was listed, at Independence, as one of the twenty poorest countries in the world.

Today, Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories. The discovery of diamonds in 1967, marked the turning point for  Botswana. This has enabled her to grow its economy and today it enjoys Middle Income Country status and has top listing in terms of welcoming foreign investment and trade, particularly in the fields of technology and skills transfer; it is ranked as Africa’s least corrupt country and is renowned for promoting good governance.

Botswana is a landlocked country approximately the size of France, with a population of just over two million having been recorded in the 2011 Census. Gaborone and Francistown are the two capital cities.

Gaborone inhabits approximately 250 000 people. It is situated in the south of Botswana, about 20 km north of the South African border.

Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 100,079 and 150,800 inhabitants for its agglomeration at the 2011 census, and often described as the "Capital of the North." It is located in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone.

The success of Botswana’s economy is largely attributed to its’ mineral wealth. The country’s rich mineral resources are spread across the coordinates of the country and include diamonds, coal, gold, copper, copper-nickel, salt and soda ash, and most recently uranium.

Vast  areas of the land are reserved for agricultural purposes. Botswana’s largest major  import is beef products. However, with 37% of Botswana having been set aside for conservation, it is not surprising that tourists come from all over the world to enjoy the pristine wildlife reserves that make up 17% of the conservation areas. The Okavango Delta, otherwise known as the Jewel of the Kalahari, alone occupies 15000km2.

Botswana is a premier safari destination and all of the Big Five and Little Five can be seen here.

Central to the ethos of Botswana is a spirit of politeness and care for others. It is this, combined with the natural beauty of its wildernesses ,that keeps visitors to Botswana  returning time and time again.

Facts and  Myths…

Notwithstanding, oral stories are synonymous with facts, folktale and myths. In Botswana,  the  first is a creation myth;

“Long, long ago in the time of Lowe when the rocks were still soft, our ancestor, the one-legged giant, Matsieng, lived below the ground with his people, cattle and the wild animals. One day he heard a bird calling above him and, he looked up through the hole. He climbed up through a hole. He climbed up through the whole and was followed by his people, cattle and the wild animals. He left his footmarks in the rock and these can still be seen near Rasesa.”

Thus was the story that will open us to the exploration of some of Botswana’s wondrous landscapes, their history, dynamics and often times- myths; 

1. Matsieng Footprints

Local legend has it that the first humans were created in the pools here, leaving their footprints behind in the rock. 

The creation story told among the peoples of what is now southeastern Botswana, involves a great hunter named Matsieng. Some versions say he was a one-legged giant; other versions say he had two legs. All versions, though, describe how he emerged one day from a waterhole, followed by his animals and his people, and strode off with them across the wet earth to settle in the surrounding lands.

The Matsieng Footprints are a petro glyphic record of this cultural tradition. The footprints are located on a flat expanse of sandstone with several large natural holes that act as excellent basins for collecting rainwater. Humans have been visiting the site frequently for millennia to fill clay pots (dinkgwana) or water their livestock

2. The Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa is a world of extremes, its apparent emptiness punctuated by explosions of life. Relentless cycles of dry and wet, scarcity and plenty, dictate which creatures can live here, and which will die.

The desert covers a vast area of Southern Africa, spreading out of Botswana into neighbouring South Africa and Namibia.  Its national parks and reserves provide sanctuary for antelope, elephant, giraffe, many bird species, and various predators which roam the magnificent semi-desert savannah.

The Kgalagadi Desert covers an approximate of 84% of the land in Botswana. Due to its semi- arid climate, water is scarce and it is celebrated and treasured, when it comes and, thus the currency name “Pula”- which means “Rain”. The desert gets its name from the Tswana word 'Kgala', which means The Great Thirst. This is an accurate name given to this drought-prone area.

The mean annual rainfall is 250 mm in the south -west and, 650 mm in the north- west. The rainfall season is between November and April. Although most of Botswana lies within the tropics, the climate is temperate. Summers are long and hot and winters are short but chilly.

The region and the seemingly inhospitable environment provide nourishment for man and beast, in the form of tough grasses and watermelons. Animals which manage to adapt and survive here include: gemsbok, blue wilder-beast, red hartebeest, zebra, kudu, elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard and cheetah. 

3.Gcwihaba Caverns

Branching off the well used path, accessible only by four-wheeled drive vehicles, are Botswana’s Gcwihaba Caverns, a phenomenal series of caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and bats.

The main chamber of the dolomite caves, named Drotsky’s Cavern- after the first European to be shown the cave in 1934, is a massive clearing in the stone in which bats hang majestically from wall to wall, displaying the likeness of an eerie wallpaper. They host at least three distinct species of bat, all of which are harmless, but all of which inhabit the caves.

  

4. Okavango Delta

This unique wonder of the land borders a point where 4 (four) nations touch . This rare confluence of the coming together of four nations coming together on one spot only exists in Africa, where the corners of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia meet. This delta marks the African quadripoint. 

The Okavango Delta is a vast ecosystem created as the Okavango River flows into the parched Kalahari Desert. The Okavango Delta is a unique pulsing wetland.To be more precise, an alluvial fan.

The delta covers between 6 and 15 000 square kilometres of Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana and owes its existence to the Okavango (Kavango) River which flows from the Angolan highlands, across Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and into the harsh Kalahari Desert.

It is the 1000th site to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014. The Okavango Delta is an important wildlife area protected by both the Moremi Game Reserve, on its eastern edge, and the numerous wildlife concessions within Ngamiland.

The Okavango Delta is home to large concentrations of birds and animals and is probably one of the best places to enjoy magical sights of animals and birds in Africa.

5. The Monument of the Three Chiefs

In 1885 three tribal chiefs representing the people of Botswana, Sebele I, Bathoen I, and Khama III, traveled from their African nation to plead with the Queen. At the time Botswana (then the Bechuanaland Protectorate) was in danger of being incorporated in the exploitative British South Africa Company, and the tribal leaders set tackle the matter head on.
Traveling to Britain, they pled their case and the nation was put under the control of the crown. Although it was not in any way freedom, it was more appealing than the alternative. Ironically, it was this separation that would later keep the country from being included in South African apartheid.   
While their role in Botswana’s history is a controversial one, the leaders were commemorated in 2005 with the Three Dikgosi monument. Each of the chiefs is depicted in regal bronze, 18 feet tall. Their granite stands bear their names and informational plaques tell of their achievements.

6.Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

A long time ago, Lake Makgadikgadi covered a large area in what is now northern Botswana. Fed by the Nata and Boteti rivers, this lake had no natural outflow. As a result, salts gradually built up in low-lying areas.

As years passed by and climatic conditions in southern Africa changed significantly, the lake dried up, leaving behind a series of salt pans covering over almost 10,000 square miles, making the Makgadikgadi pans arguably the largest network of salt flats in the world. 

The pans are vast, desolate, and unaccommodating. Despite such conditions, life persists with relentless determination. They are one of two breeding spots for flamingos in southern Africa. 

Summer rains are known to occasionally flood the pan and attract a variety of wildlife to the deceptively lifeless plains.  Although the pans are a “salty desert,” where only certain unique types of algae can be spotted, there are grasslands and shrubbery surrounding the area.  

The pans also served as a major obstacle to missionaries pushing north in Africa. Still, despite the interactions different people have had with the pans, the Makgadikgadi salt flats remain relatively undisturbed. Accruing from its inhospitable nature of the salt pans, human interaction has been minimal in comparison to other natural salt sources across the world.  

7. The Kebokwe’s Cave

Kebokwe’s Cave (“Legaga la ga Kobokwe”, in Setswana) plays a dual role in the mythology of Botswana: It is both an ominous symbol of superstition and witchcraft, but also as an essential pathway to  the founding of Christianity in the country.

The cave struts in the hills overlooking the village of Molepolole on the Thamaga Road. Folklore purports that it was an execution site for practitioners of black magic, who were pushed off the execution rock nearby.

After turning off the highway, there is a 15 minute scramble up a well-used path to the cave. The cave itself is rather small, but is always cool with a breeze coming from deep in its chambers.

Folklore says; a witch named Kebokwe was flung off these rocks, however through her magic she landed unharmed. Ever since, dark spirits in the likeness of giant snakes have haunted the cave and the surrounding hills. Regardless of its veracity, this legend was still rampant when David Livingstone, the famous physician, missionary, and explorer, arrived in Kolobeng in 1847.

He convinced the Kgosi of the Bakwena, Sechele I, to convert to Christianity by spending a night in the cave to prove that the sprits were harmless. After a refreshing and sleep-filled night in the eerie cave, Sechele was convinced and was Livingstone’s only convert to Christianity. 

About The Cities

Botswana is host to 2 main cities, mainly Gaborone and Francistown

Gaborone is a dainty city – small enough to make you feel at home, but large enough to give you privacy. It is famed for its friendliness and it is rare indeed for a smile or a warm word to be reciprocated with anything but the same. It is affectionately referred to, by most, as “Gabs”.

Sunset and sunrise in Botswana are magical times and in Gabs, the brilliant hues of dawn and dusk outline Oodi Hill, Kgale Hill and the buildings of the CBDs.

Both the old and new CBD are right in the centre of Gaborone, while the ever-expanding diamond hub is close to the Sir Seretse Khama (SSK) Airport, itself a mere 11 km north of the city centre. Other commercial areas include Kgale View, Fairgrounds, Gabs West Industrial and Commerce Park.

One can choose to live in the city itself, or opt for a country lifestyle where you will commute  just 20 km out of town. The international schools are close to town, but many people choose to do the commute from Phakalane, Ruretse and Gabs North and to take advantage of the proximity to the bush where warthogs and impala can still regularly be seen browsing and the occasional brown hyena may be spotted.

 The bush is never far from the city and the ponds, a stone throw from the local sewage plant, is a popular spot for bird watchers. Birdwatchers can also indulge at the Gaborone Game Park, Mokolodi Wildlife Reserve, Gaborone Dam and Bokaa Dam – all of which are within 30 km of the city.

Francistown is situated  at the confluence of the Tati and Inchwe rivers, and in close vicinity to the Shashe River (tributary to the Limpopo) and 90 kilometres from the international border with Zimbabwe. Francistown was the centre of southern Africa's first gold rush and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines. The City of Francistown is an administrative district, separated from North-East District. It is administered by Francistown City Council.