Tshimologo ya Batswana
Origins & Early Migrations
The Setswana people, also known as Batswana (singular: Motswana), are part of the Bantu-speaking groups of Southern Africa.
Their ancestors migrated southwards from the Great Lakes/Central Africa region between 1000–1200 AD as part of the Bantu migration. By the 14th century, they were already settled in the highveld and Kalahari regions, establishing communities based on cattle rearing, farming (sorghum, millet, maize later), and hunting.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Batswana experienced both internal power shifts and external pressures:
Mfecane/Difaqane (1820s–1830s): The upheavals caused by the expansion of the Zulu kingdom under Shaka and Mzilikazi displaced some Tswana chiefdoms, forcing resettlement and the strengthening of their morafe (chiefdom) system.
Colonial Encounters: The late 19th century brought missionary contact, Boer expansion, and eventually British colonialism, which split the Tswana across modern Botswana, South Africa (mainly the North West and Northern Cape provinces), and small numbers in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Migration and Settlement
The Batswana organized themselves into chiefdoms (merafe) led by dikgosi (chiefs). Villages were often built around a central meeting place, the kgotla, which remains central to governance and dispute resolution. Their strategic settlements in fertile areas allowed for cattle herding, crop cultivation, and trade with neighboring groups.
Lenyalo
Marriage among the Batswana is both a family and community affair:
Patlo / Go kopa ngwetsi: The groom’s family formally requests the bride from her family, often through elders.
Bogadi (bridewealth): Payment in cattle (or money, today) is made by the groom’s family to the bride’s family, symbolizing respect and binding the union.
Celebrations: Weddings include traditional songs, dances, and feasting. The bride is often dressed in multiple outfits, including leteisi, to showcase her transition into marriage.