Basketry, the Botswana excellence
Practised for thousands of years by the Bayei and Hambukushu women, basketry is today the most famous craft in Botswana, whose emblematic object is the basket. From its traditional agricultural use, many models have been created, such as the closed basket to store cereals or the open bowl-shaped one to carry objects on the head. Specific to the north of the country, they are made from the leaves of the Hyphaene petersiana palm tree , called mokola in Botswana. Naturally beige in colour, the leaves are boiled with the roots of specific shrubs to be dyed in brown or pink tones before being meticulously woven by hand by the women. The quality of a basket is determined by the fineness of its weaving on the one hand and the beauty of the design on the other. In this matter, there is no absolute rule, to each his taste. However, there are traditional patterns that have a special meaning. Some are decorated with the tears of the giraffe, which was killed while hunting and is crying for the loss of its life. Others are decorated with swallow tails to mark the first rains of the southern summer. Nowadays, more and more unique basketry creations are emerging, representing a more contemporary art, and offering superb decorative objects. Although it is possible to buy basketry in the tourist shops of the cities and the big hotels, the prices remain nevertheless rather high and the essential of the margin returns to the shop! For a purchase closer to the producer and perhaps more equitable, it is advisable to buy directly in the village or from a craft cooperative. The villages of Etsha, Nxamaseri and Gumare are particularly recommended, but any hamlet in Ngamiland offers a greater or lesser choice of basketry.
Pottery, a local craft in danger
Terracotta utensils or figures, pottery is another typical Botswana product. In the Kgatleng and Kweneng districts of southeastern Botswana, this traditional craft is carried out by bakgatla women, who hand down this know-how from generation to generation. To make pots and jars, they use clay, which they mix with cow dung, water and grass, among other ingredients, to create a variety of designs and patterns, recalling the customs of this great Tswana tribe. Traditionally left to dry in the sun, this natural clay pottery is now fired in specialized kilns. Once finished, these vessels are used to transport water, store beer, ferment alcohol and worship ancestors. However, this traditional craft is now threatened with extinction, with fewer master potters, ever-lower prices and stiff competition from mass-produced products. In 2012, this know-how was inscribed on the list of intangible heritage requiring urgent safeguarding by Unesco. From bowls to vases, plates and dishes, you can find this beautifully patterned pottery in the villages of Thamaga and Gabane, near the capital, where both are home to a pottery craft center.
San craftsmanship, an ancestral know-how
Living mainly in the Kalahari region, this hunter-gatherer people has developed, over the course of its history, craft skills that have enabled it to equip itself to carry out its traditional activities. These skills have been passed down from generation to generation, and today the San continue to use these objects in their daily lives, some of them still living from hunting and gathering. With the growth of tourism in the region, they have also increased the production of these items, which now provide them with an important source of income. These traditional items include pretty skirts, hunting outfits and leather bags, made from springbok, steenbok or duiker skins. The work is carried out in pairs: the men hunt, tan and sew, while the women decorate the material with beads. In addition to leather products, the San also produce beautiful jewelry, made with beads of colored glass or ostrich eggshells. These require precise craftsmanship, with great delicacy and care, but offer remarkable results. In their natural state or decorated with animal scenes, ostrich eggs are sold in many souvenir stores. However, you'll need a sturdy box big enough to ensure that this souvenir doesn't break on the plane home. As well as quivers and arrows for traditional hunting, the San have developed a range of instruments for one of their favorite pastimes, music and dance. From the thumb piano to the segaba, a traditional stringed instrument, they are made from natural materials such as wood and animal hair. In D'kar, Maun and Kasane, it's also possible to pick up CDs and DVDs to discover the san arts practiced during the festivities.
The diamond, an exceptional souvenir
The world's second-largest diamond producer, Botswana's high-quality rough gems have earned the country its international reputation. With several mines in operation across the country, annual production has reached nearly 25.1 million carats for the year 2023. In April 2019, one of the world's largest rough diamonds, blue in color, was extracted from the Orapa mine and acquired by the French firm Louis Vuitton. Along with the Orapa mine, Jwaneng is one of the most important mines in Botswana, and indeed in the world, as it is considered the richest in terms of value. In June 2021, a 1,098-carat diamond, the third largest in the world, was discovered there. Since 2008, in partnership with the South African De Beers group, Botswana has been marketing its own diamonds through the Diamond Trading Company Botswana, dedicated to sorting, valuing and selling the country's precious stones. For those who succumb to this luxurious caprice, Gaborone's jewelry stores are one of the safest places to make their purchase. Diamonds are sold with certificates of origin and quality, which will be required for insurance and customs clearance on departure. The value of a diamond is determined by various criteria, including its purity, color, weight and the way it has been cut. Its weight is defined in carats, which correspond to 0.2 g, in reference to the carob seeds that were once used to weigh diamonds. When you buy a diamond, be sure to indicate the amount of VAT on the invoice, so that you can be reimbursed before you leave Botswana, and to seal the box properly. When you arrive in France, the diamond must be declared at customs, and you will have to pay the taxes.
Fabrics and carpets with colourful patterns
As in many African countries, you will find a multitude of colourful fabrics sold by the metre in shops and markets. If you like one or more of them, you can go to a dressmaker to have beautiful tailor-made outfits made in African colours for only a handful of euros! The beautiful Victorian dresses of the Herero women are the most distinctive mark of this people for western travellers. The missionaries' wives, probably judging them too bare, taught them to sew them and the dress was adopted, a bit like the famous bowler hats of Bolivian women! Worn with the famous hat in the shape of cow horns, these very long, very puffy and very wide dresses put a touch of gaiety and color in the dusty universe of the Kalahari villages. The Herero handicrafts that are popular with travellers are the little cloth dolls dressed in the beautiful Victorian costume. The Tswana handicrafts, although not really internationally renowned, are nevertheless well made, as are the splendid tapestries that decorate the walls of the houses. The tapestries are very cheerful and colourful, are hand-woven, usually with wool, and can also be made to measure. The naïve drawings usually represent scenes of everyday life such as women pounding millet or men watching over herds of animals. These tapestries are especially the specialty of the city of Francistown and the village of Oodi, which is located 20 km from Gaborone.
The sculptures, everyday objects
Although carving is not the specific craft of Botswana, it is traditionally used to make everyday objects such as cutlery, cups, chairs and tools. These items are usually carved from mopane wood, a heavy, termite-resistant wood. As is the case everywhere in Africa, to attract tourists, craftsmen now model the fauna of their country, such as the hippopotamus and the giraffe, which offer beautiful decorative objects. For amateurs, there are also finely crafted masks, used primarily for ancestral rituals. In recent years, there has also been a boom in bone carving, to replace ivory statuettes, whose worldwide ban on the sale of these products threatened the income of the craftsmen. The result is stunning and just as remarkable, as it is difficult to tell the difference between the two materials.
