Motlhabaneng Village, Botswana
Visit Motlhabaneng Village in the Tuli Region of Botswana to meet Jane Semanta, one of Botswana's top basket weavers.
David Cheno, one of our guide’s from Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris, is from Motlhabaneng Village in the Tuli Region of Botswana. It’s not too far from Limpopo’s riding area, so if you have a chance to visit, I recommend it. We drove past beautiful rock formations that reminded me of Arizona to reach the village to learn more about village life in Botswana and meet one of Botswana’s top basket weavers.
When we first arrived to Motlhabaneng Village, kids were out playing soccer. They invited us to play, but we first had to meet with the village chief.
David Cheno, a guide you might meet with Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris, was happy to bring us to Motlhabaneng Village, his home village.
A photo of one of the many traditional round thatched roof homes found in Motlhabaneng Village.
Our first stop was to meet the village chief to gain permission to film in the village. At the heart of a village is the chief's central court and public meeting place, called the “kgotla.” We sat down in his office and explained what we were filming. He was happy to have us, as long as we’d send him some photos.
The village chief invites us to learn more about Motlhabaneng Village and film for Equitrekking.
As we drove through the village, David told me that there are over 3000 people in Motlhabaneng Village. We passed many children who were not shy at all about coming up to pose for our cameras or give us a smile.
With Equitrekking, we often film in destinations that are not heavily frequented by tourists. Our filming captures the attention of area residents, like these village kids, who are curious to learn more about what we are doing.
We ventured on to meet Jane Semanta, a well-known basket weaver. Jane has her own store and women’s guild where community women get together and weave baskets, mats, carry totes, and many other items. The finished goods are on display and are available for sale.
Jane has worked hard to get the funds to build an area where the women of her community can weave and a small store featuring their baskets.
Her business is called “Tsatsi Leeta,” which loosely translates to " a new day is dawning." You can feel the sun or some sort of energetic light beaming off of Jane. She finds a lot of joy from her weaving and works hard to make her small business a success.
I attempt to learn to weave from Jane... the master weaver. I think I'll need to stay in the village a lot longer to get this technique right!
In 2010 the government of Botswana sponsored Jane to go on a trip to Ohio to participate in the annual Middfest International, which in 2010 was a celebration of Botswana. Middfest International takes place in Middletown and is a cultural event held annually on first weekend in October featuring international dance, music and food.
Each basket may take about four to six weeks to complete, working every day. Various basket designs have been passed from generation to generation.
While in the U.S., Jane was able to she demonstrate her basket weaving technique and display and sell some her goods. I asked her how she liked her trip to the United States. She loved it.
A large mat on display at Tsatsi Leeta, which must have taken a very long time to make. Everything is woven by hand.
In Botswana, baskets have been used over time for a variety of tasks including storing grain and processing and sifting pounded grain. Traditional baskets are woven with the coil method. A bunch of palm fiber, grass, or a single piece of vine is used for the interior of the coil.
The leaves of the Mokolwane palm (Hyphaene petersiana) are the main material to create these intricate designs, though other materials can be used to create varying colors and patterns. Cream colored palm fiber is dyed shades of brown.
We went into her small shop, where my crew and I were able to buy baskets... lots of baskets.
If you’re a friend of mine, don’t be surprised if you get a Botswana basket as a Christmas gift.
Learn more about visiting Motlhabaneng Village while on a horse safari with Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris and ask us about the riding vacation that is the best fit for you and your group of riders and non-riders. We've taken them all so are happy to help! Learn more about travel to Botswana from Botswana Tourism.
