Botswana

Botswana - Where the wet meets the dry

With its unspoiled wildernesses and promise of adventure, Botswana is one of the last remaining safari destinations in Africa where you can still experience nature as the early explorers did. This magnificent country boasts a treasure trove of options for the tourist, from the famous Okavango Delta wetlands to the incredible Makgadikgadi salt pans, from grass plains of migrating zebra to the stark openness of the Kalahari and the huge herds of elephant in Chobe.

Botswana is one of the world’s most thinly populated countries with less than 3 people per km2 (5 per sq mile), and at independence in 1966 it was also one of the poorest. However, since then there has been remarkable growth in all sectors of the economy, including tourism, conservation and wildlife management. With almost 20% of the country protected as national park or wildlife management area, Botswana has made a real commitment to conservation, and many of its people have now begun to appreciate the value of managed conservation areas. The Nata Sanctuary was one of the first examples of how the local population can financially benefit from the administration of their own wildlife areas. Although, unlike most other African countries, this trend has been evident in Botswana since the early 1960s, when the Batawana people agreed that their traditional hunting grounds in the Okavango should be protected. This act was hailed as a landmark in African tribal history and the area was named the Moremi Game Reserve after the late Chief Moremi III.

The Land

Located in the centre of southern Africa and covering an area of 581,730km2 (224,548 sq miles), Botswana is a landlocked country, just slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Texas. Namibia lies to the west and north of the country with the thin Caprivi Strip which runs along the top of Botswana. While to the south lies South Africa and to the east there is Zimbabwe. In the northwest for just 700m (765yd) Botswana and Zambia meet along the world’s shortest international boundary. Extending through nine degrees of latitude, two thirds of the country lies within the tropics, but unlike most ’tropical’ countries, Botswana is dry and prone to drought. The vast Kalahari Desert, the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world, covers 84% of Botswana, extending from the Orange River in South Africa to the equator in Gabon. While Botswana is often depicted as being a flat featureless semidesert, there is much wonder and variation to be found in this vast land. One of the greatest paradoxes this arid sandveld encompasses is the lush, verdant jewel of the Okavango Delta formed as the wide, fast-flowing Okavango River spills out across a massive area of sand where it eventually soaks away, drying up in its futile search for the sea. Other remarkable features punctuating Botswana’s terrain include the immense Makgadikgadi pans, whose salt-cracked surface marks the death bed of the great Lake Makgadikgadi. Along the eastern edge of the country, the landscape has more variety with hills and kopjes (rocky mounds), while in the far west and southwest, deep in the Kalahari, the terrain is completely flat and arid.

CLIMATE
As is typical of deserts far from the moderating influence of the sea, and as the country extends over nine degrees of latitude, there is considerable variation in the seasons and climatic conditions in Botswana. There are generally only two seasons: summer, which lasts from October to April; and winter which is slightly shorter, from May to September. The vast majority of rain falls between December and February, although even during this period there can be long dry spells when temperatures can soar to over 40°C (104°F). In winter the night temperatures can plummet to below freezing. But at any time of year, be it midwinter or midsummer, visitors can generally count on sunny clear blue skies with very few consistently cloudy days. Rainfall is often in the form of short, sharp thunderstorms followed by sunshine, which, while good for tourists, is detrimental to farmers as it causes much of the precipitation to evaporate before it can soak into the soil. The quantity and reliability of rainfall decreases from the northeast of the country, where 600mm (24in) can be expected with a variability of 30%, to the southwest, where an annual rainfall of only 200mm (8in) can be expected with a variability of 80%.

RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS
Apart from the Okavango River there is no other perennial water supply flowing into, or out of, Botswana. Only the Chobe River in the extreme north, which separates Botswana from Namibia’s Caprivi Strip flows all year round. For this reason, water is one of Botswana’s most precious commodities and there is grave concern about its availability for a growing population in the near future. The Chobe, Okavango and Zambezi rivers all have their source in the rain-drenched eastern Angolan highlands, where there is an average annual rainfall of well over 1200mm (47in). Under different names the Chobe and Okavango rivers meander in a parallel course southwards through Angola to cross Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. At Mohembo just north of Shakawe the Okavango enters Botswana having changed its name from the Cuito River. For a further 90km (54 miles) the wide fast-flowing Okavango is hemmed in a narrow floodplain between two parallel fault lines until it pours into the flat Kalahari sand to fan out across the expanse of the Okavango Delta .

The Thamalakane River drains the Okavango Delta, carrying the minuscule overflow through Maun. The two main rivers that drain the east of the country are the Shashe and the Motloutse. The seasonal flow of the Motloutse has now been dammed to provide water for the towns of eastern Botswana through a massive pipeline stretching across 360km (216 miles) of dry countryside. Much of the country is flat, savanna grassland with a scattering of thorn and scrub bush, although the southeastern hardveld has a somewhat varied geology with more reliable rainfall, greater fertility and agricultural potential. As a result, 80% of the country’s population lives in this region. This more densely populated swathe of land constitutes just 20% of the country and runs from Ramokgwebana at the border with Zimbabwe in the east to Ramatlabama on the South African border near Mafikeng in the south. Along its length, hilly ranges and rocky outcrops adorn the landscape. There are no mountains in Botswana and, apart from the hilly southeast, the only hills of significance are found in the northwest where there are three outcrops. Located in a flat sea of sand, these ranges are of geological and historical significance.

The most important of these is the Tsodilo Hills whose rocky cliffs rise up about 400m (1312ft) above the surrounding plain, and can be seen from the Okavango Delta over 50km (31 miles) away. The Tsodilo Hills are one of the most significant historical rock art sites in the world with as many as 3500 individual paintings charting over 25,000 years of almost continual human habitation in the area. The Aha and Gcwihaba hills are approximately 150km (90 miles) south of Tsodilo and are extremely remote, involving a difficult 10–12 hour journey by four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach them. Although Aha means ’little rocks’, these hills form the largest range in northern Botswana, overlooking the dune fields of the Namibian border. The Gcwihaba Hills to the east are part of the same range and are named after an ancient river which used to flow through them. Gcwihaba is the !Kung word for ’hyena’s lair’, and it was this river that created the magnificent Drotsky’s Caverns with their dramatic stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone formations which are also to be found in the range. !Kung is an almost forgotten San (Bushman) dialect spoken in northwestern Botswana.

INLAND WATERS
As an arid semidesert country with very little usable surface water, it is remarkable that in years of good rain Botswana can suddenly be blessed with immense shallow sheets of water as the huge northern salt pans  fill up. The inflow of the Okavango River alone would be enough to support the needs of a fully industrialized nation, were it not for evaporation. Unfortunately the pressure to harness this water is great – Angola needs the water to set up agricultural projects and Namibia wants to dam the watercourse. However, if the unique river flow is reduced or disturbed in any way, much of the Delta could be threatened. Consequently there is continual lobbying by conservation groups for greater protection of the Delta. While completely dry for much of the year the major Makgadikgadi pans of Sowa, Ntwetwe and Nxai, with their countless smaller companions, do fill with both local rainfall and the inflow of certain rivers such as the Nata and Boteti. As the pans are clay-bottomed, the water is not readily absorbed into the ground and often remains on the surface long into the winter, when the pans become focal points for thirsty birds and wildlife. These pans are actually the last remains of the great inland lake that covered much of northern Botswana 40,000 years ago. It was fed by the combined inflow of the Okavango, Chobe and Zambezi rivers, spanning an area of up to 60,000km2 (23,160 sq miles) to a maximum depth of 100m (328ft). This area is at the tail end of the Great East African Rift Valley and, being tectonically unstable, the faulting and warping of the earth’s crust over the centuries diverted both the Chobe and Zambezi rivers causing the superlake to dry up. As recently as 1500 years ago there was still water in the lowest levels of the lake, but today all that remains is a flat, sun-baked parchland called the Makgadikgadi. Covering 12,000 km2 (4632 sq miles) the pans which make up the Makgadikgadi are absolutely featureless, without a single rock or blade of grass. It is this very desolation that has made them into such a tourist attraction , but the pans are also of economic importance: vast deposits of brine are being extracted from Sowa Pan for the production of not only salt, but also soda ash for use by the world’s glass and chemical manufacturers.

Botswana's Wildlife Heritage

Botswana’s prime attraction is its abundant bird and wildlife. Over 160 different mammal species have been identified, including the ’big five’ – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – as well as a myriad antelope including the rare aquatic sitatunga and red lechwe. Over 550 bird species have been identified, 400 of which can be seen in the Gaborone area. Several of these birds are extremely rare and are unique to certain areas of Botswana.

The best ’birding’ areas are the Okavango Delta, the Chobe River from Kazungula to Serondela, the Tuli area, and Nata while an incredible array of raptors can be seen in the Mabuasehube area of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The best time of year for birdwatching is during the hot summer months when males sport their bright breeding plumage and droves of migrants have arrived. Although generally shy and seldom encountered, snakes remain a concern for tourists and campers. Of the 72 species found in Botswana only 15 are dangerous, and just half of these are deadly. On the other hand, you are likely to see some of the 157 different reptiles and amphibians, particularly crocodiles, lizards, geckos, monitors and frogs. A bewildering array of flying and crawling insects are to be found in Botswana, but few of them are dangerous or unpleasant. Contrary to popular belief, the most dangerous creatures you are likely to see on your trip are not lions or buffalo, but mosquitoes. Antimalaria precautions must be taken. With their painful bite, tsetse fly can also be very trying, particularly in the summer months, but one should not forget that it has been their presence that has saved the Okavango from the cattle onslaught. Scorpions can also add an unpleasant sting to your trip, so it’s a good idea to shake out your shoes before putting them on. They are not deadly and ordinary antihistamine cream provides effective relief, so be sure to pack a tube! While there are some really impressive spiders in Botswana – the fearsome button spider, the eight-eyed jumping spider and the incredible ’golden orb’ spider which spins an iridescent golden thread – the only spider that might bite (an unlikely occurrence), and which is responsible for 90% of spider bites in southern Africa, is the innocent-looking little ‘sac spider’ which spins a noticeable smudgy white nest on curtains and in cupboards. Its painless bite is cytotoxic.

WILDLIFE AND TOURISM
Tourism is a significant foreign exchange earner for Botswana with estimated annual earnings being in excess of US$ 80 million. In the past, hunting trophy fees were the main contributor to this industry, but during the 1980s the emphasis began to change to photographic and ecotourism operations. Although tourism already provides 40% of formal employment in the north of the country, it is still a major growth industry, and with the government’s continual development of land usage plans and new area allocations, opportunities are always becoming available for sustainable eco-friendly tourism development. Botswana offers anything from self-drive or guided safari vehicle hire to elephant-back safaris , but to preserve the country’s pristine environment the government’s stated policy of low-volume, high-cost tourism remains. Thus, while Botswana may be more expensive than Kenya or other high-volume safari destinations, it is still an exclusive unspoiled destination which, through care and official policy, is likely to remain so. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks, which administers all of the national parks and conservation areas in Botswana, sets various conditions which visitors must abide by when entering any national park. These cover standard rules for human safety and others for the safety of the animals. But as conditions change and tourist pressure increases, the rules are often amended and new ones are added.

The People

Almost two million people from numerous tribes and backgrounds live in Botswana, but despite this diversity, remarkable unity has been achieved as almost everyone considers themselves to be Batswana first, and tribespeople second. The largest tribal group in Botswana is the original Tswana tribe, which still comprises almost 50% of the entire population, followed by the Bakalanga people who occupy the northeast and central districts of Botswana where they have lived for almost 1000 years. The riverine tribes of the Bayei, Basubiya and Hambukushu inhabit the Okavango and Chobe waterways in Ngamiland District, subsisting on the water and its rich natural resources. The Bayei were the first to arrive in the 1700s, closely followed by the Basubiya who established their capital at Luchindo on the Chobe River. The Hambukushu are master basket weavers who are recent additions to the cultural tapestry of Botswana. They arrived in waves from Namibia and Angola over the past couple of hundred years, with the last group of 4000 moving into the country in 1969 to escape the Angolan civil war. The Bakgalagadi tribe are also of Sotho-Tswana origin and are closely related to the Batswana people, sharing similar customs and beliefs. Many Bakgalagadi still practise subsistence agriculture and often occupy the ’Remote Area Dweller’ category. The San are also deep rural dwellers who shy away from contact with the larger villages with which they are unfamiliar. However, now that they are no longer able to pursue their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles, they rely on government assistance programmes.

THE CHANGING LIFESTYLE OF THE SAN
There is a common misconception that the San are on the verge of extinction with just a few isolated family groups wandering the Central Kalahari. On the contrary, Botswana has a growing San population of up to 60,000 but their hunter-gatherer way of life is now extinct and they are reeling from tremendous social and cultural change. These changes have deprived the San of their cultural independence and have destroyed their social structure, leaving many of them in extreme poverty, dependent on an undignified existence of government handouts and vulnerable to exploitation and racial prejudice. In addition to these various tribes, there is a significant group of white Batswana, comprised of descendants of the original missionaries, farmers and traders who have permanently settled in the country over the last 100 years.

THE TSWANA
Essentially pastoralists for whom cattle are extremely important, the Tswana people who form the majority of the country’s population have given their tribal name, with the plural prefix ’Ba’ to describe the people of Botswana – hence the term ’Batswana’. In Botswana there are three major groups of Tswana people: the Bakwena who live in the Molepolole area, the Bangwaketse who live in the Kanye area, and the Bangwato who live in the Palapye and Serowe areas and to whom the Khama family belongs.

THE TRADITIONA  DRESS OF THE HERERO
The Herero originated in Namibia and only recently moved into the north of the country around Lake Ngami in 1904–1905 to escape the Germans. The remarkable traditional dresses that Herero woman wear are the result of a German missionary’s zealous wife Mrs Emma Hahn, who – 150 years ago – wanted to eliminate nudity amongst Herero women, so taught them to sew. The Herero women copied the Victorian-style dresses that the missionary wives wore, making their own adaptations, including the bright colours and the two-pointed headdress, which represents a young cow’s horns. Herero women still sew these dresses, using up to 10m (33ft) of fabric to make the pleated skirt, and reams of material to make the numerous petticoats. The outfits are heavy and impractical, especially in summer, but one will often see women in their traditional dress, especially in Maun. However, remember that if you want to take photographs of Herero women in traditional dress, it is important to ask permission first and a small fee is usually charged.

LANGUAGE
Setswana is the national language and all the major tribes speak it with minor differences in dialect. This contributes to their tribal harmony. However, English is the official business language and it is widely spoken in the urban areas with most written communication being in this language. In certain rural areas and smaller commercial centres Afrikaans is often used. This is as a result of the significant number of Batswana who were employed as migrant labour on the mines in South Africa.

FOOD AND DRINK
Wholesome traditional food is available in most restaurants throughout Botswana and for foreign visitors it is well worth a try, even though some of it, such as dried mopane worms (highly nutritious with an appealing nutty flavour) may require an open mind and a strong will. Seswaa is the traditional beef dish and is served with pap, which is a soft maize meal. Traditional beer is also very popular – and potent – usually being served from a large clay pot into hollow gourds. Unlike western beers it is not clear, but has a distinct texture. Chibuku is the commercially brewed version of this beer and, although very low in alcohol, is interesting for its unfamiliar lumpy consistency. In a calculated government policy to protect the income of many otherwise unemployed women, this cardboard-cartonned drink is not available in official liquor stores, and can only be bought from the shebeens. Ask your local guide where you can buy some as it is definitely worth a taste. In Ngamiland around the Okavango and Makgadikgadi areas, where the real fan palm (Hyphaene petersiana) and wild date palms (Phoenix reclinata) are common, a very intoxicating palm wine known locally as muchema is distilled from their sap. Unfortunately, this is not easily found as the tapping process often leads to the death of the trees, which are also under threat from the commercial basket weavers who reap the new leaves of these palms to make their wares.