Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ETIQUETTE TIPS
Although there are a lot of rules of social etiquette within Batswana culture, foreigners are not expected to know
or abide by most of them. Of course, you should maintain common sense - wearing shorts and T-shirts to church,
for example, won't endear you to anyone. In general, you should always err on the side of modesty when interact-
ing with locals. For instance, despite the way they dance at the club, Batswana traditional culture frowns on ex-
cessive public displays of affection between couples, married or not. Even public hand-holding is pretty rare. With
that said, Batswana, who are used to riding in cramped combis (minibuses) and growing up in rural villages, may
not have the same sense of personal space you possess, and might think nothing of resting a hand on your leg on a
crowded bus.
Greetings are an important formality in Botswana and should not be overlooked. You tend to get better answers
to your questions if you greet people with a friendly
'Dumela',
followed by a
'rra'
(for men) and
'mma'
for wo-
men. It is also important to emphasise that a two-hand handshake (ie your left hand on your elbow while you
shake) is preferable to a Western-style handshake. Putting your left hand on your elbow is also important when
money is changing hands.
Because the national culture is so defined by hierarchy, it is not common for children to question or talk back to
parents, or for underlings to contradict overlings. This shouldn't affect most visitors to the country, but it may ex-
plain why lodge or other employees are so deferential towards their bosses and sometimes unwilling to offer an
opinion that may contradict their superiors.
Mbukushu
The Mbukushu (or Hambukushu), who now inhabit the Ngamiland area around the
Okavango Delta, were originally refugees from the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia.
They were forced to flee south in the late 18th century after being dislodged by the forces
of Chief Ngombela's Lozi empire. The Mbukushu carried on to southeastern Angola, just
north of present-day Andara (Namibia). There, they encountered Portuguese and African
traders, who began purchasing Mbukushu commoners from the tribal leadership to be
used and resold as slaves. To escape, some Mbukushu headed back to the Okavango Pan-
handle, where they mixed and intermarried with the Batawana. Many remain in and
around the villages of Shakawe and Sepupa.
San
The San are Botswana's first inhabitants: they were living in the Kalahari and Tsodilo
Hills as far back as 30,000 years ago, as archaeological finds in the Kalahari have demon-
strated. Some linguists even credit them with the invention of language. Unlike most other
African countries, where the San have perished or disappeared through war and inter-
breeding, Botswana, along with Namibia, retains the remnants of its San communities -
