The Tswana people, also known as the Batswana, are a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa (4 million), particularly Botswana (1 million), South Africa (3 million), and Namibia. Ethnic Tswana made up approximately 85% of the population of Botswana in 2011, and they largely influence the country’s culture, societal fabric, and economy. The Tswana, Botswana’s largest ethnic group, are made up of eight tribes that originally settled in the country’s south and center. They are Bangwaketse, Barolong, Bakwena, Bangwato, Batlokwa, Bakgatla, Balete, and Batawana.
In the local name structure, the Tswana are referred to as Batswana, which is a pluralized reference to this ethnic group. However, the term ‘Batswana’ is widely used to refer to all Botswana nationals.
Tswana sub-ethnic groupings or tribes share similar customs, laws, and traditions, with minor variances in some cases. Tswana tribes have a sociopolitical structure in which clans are led by chiefs who make laws and are responsible for ensuring that those laws are followed, including disciplinary action when necessary. The Tswana were also accustomed to African traditional religion, which consisted primarily of ancestral worship. Most of its traits were eventually diluted and eradicated as a result of contact with European missionaries who first arrived in Botswana in 1846.
They converted the Tswana through their chiefs, and Christianity became the Tswana’s main or official religion, as did virtually every other ethnic group in Botswana. Since then, most of the laws were abolished to meet the standards of the new religion, Christianity. The most common law and practice that was abolished is polygamy. Botswana law today differs vastly from the traditional system. Some of the features are aligned to global practices, such as outlawing polygamy and practicing monogamy.
Tswana people speak Setswana (‘Sechuana’) and Sesotho sa Lebowa. Setswana is also known as Beetjuans, Chuana (therefore Bechuanaland), Coana, Cuana, or Sechuana. It is widely spoken throughout South Africa and is one of the 11 official languages recognized by the South African Constitution; it is also the national and predominant language of Botswana. In 2006, it was determined that more than 3 million South Africans spoke Setswana as their first language. Tswana was one of the earliest written Sotho languages. The earliest occurrence is Heinrich Lictenstein’s 1806 work, Upon the Language of the Beetjuana. John Cambell’s Bootchuana words came next in 1815, followed by Burchell’s Botswana in 1824.
Traditionally, the Tswana people believed in a supreme god they called Modimo. Modimo is regarded as the creator of all things and is also responsible for deciding human destinies.
In 1977, the apartheid South African government created an “independent” Bantu homeland for the Tswana, called Bophuthatswana, but it was never recognized by the international community and was abolished with the fall of the official apartheid policy in 1994.
Agro-pastoralism is fundamental to local economic activity. Batswana farmers use ox-drawn iron plows (though tractors are becoming increasingly common); sorghum is the primary crop. They also cultivate tobacco, maize, beans, sugarcane, and some millet. Some farmers engage in commercial agriculture. Batswanas raise goats, sheep, and, most importantly, cattle. Cattle are valuable for local trading, religious purposes, and milk, but not for meat; their sale provides a considerable source of income for rural communities. The majority of homes keep chickens, and some in the east keep pigs. Hunting is no longer as important as it once was, especially when game was plentiful.
Traditional skilled craftsmen of the tribe also produce exquisite metalwork, leatherwork, and wood-carved products. For recreation, Tswana people perform traditional songs and dances during rituals or ceremonies.
At the territorial level, gender disparities are crucial to the majority of social, political, economic, and religious institutions. For the Batswana, the Kgotla (all-male national council) and kingship institutions are paramount.
Women from various statues wear beads. There are a few specific arts. Some people practice beadwork, and children are frequently decked with beads and other decorations (sometimes to protect them from harmful spirits). Compounds and houses are frequently tastefully designed and decorated.
Batswana have long been linked to South Africa’s industrial economy, purchasing commodities that were previously manufactured locally, including most metal goods. Historically, men worked with metal, bone, and wood; women created pots, and both sexes did basketwork. These skills were frequently passed down from parents to children. Some males continue to specialize in skin preparation and sewing, primarily for commerce, and they still produce some wooden objects, such as animal yokes.
Traditional Tswana dress is brightly colored and reflects the people’s rich cultural past. Women frequently wear a traditional clothing known as the “Tshwana,” a long, colorful fabric with exquisite patterns and decorations. Men frequently wear a “seshoeshoe,” which is a blanket wrapped over their shoulders. Both men and women wear “makgabe” or “mokorotlo,” which are traditional straw or fabric caps.
Women in northern Botswana manufacture baskets, and many of them are exported. Women construct “traditional” Tswana huts, whereas men specialize in European-style thatch and “modern”-style homes. The latter are extremely specialized skills. As in much of Africa, youngsters make toys out of fence wire, tin cans, old tires, and nearly anything else they can find.
