Football, the most popular sport
Botswana has a strong football following, especially in the English Premier League and the Champions League. Even though the national team's results have been rather modest, this does not stop the fans from cheering for the Zebras (Zebras) at every match. The team is adored by the local population, but had little success on the international stage until 2012 when they qualified for the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Unfortunately, the Zebras were soon eliminated after three defeats in three games. Their best result is to be found in the COSAFA Cup between Southern African teams, where Botswana were finalists in 2016 and 2019. Otherwise, you'll see local teams playing all over the place in the bush villages, as well as in town.
Running, the best results
If Botswana doesn't shine at the Olympic Games, its hopes rest on the running disciplines. Having never won an Olympic medal before, the 2012 London Olympics represented a great opportunity for Botswana, which was pinning its hopes on Amantle Montsho, its 400-meter world champion. Montsho had won the country's only international gold medal a year earlier. In the end, to everyone's surprise, she finished fourth and it was Amos Nijel who won Botswana's first Olympic medal, silver in the men's 800 metres. Four years later, he was Botswana's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Eliminated in the heats, he admitted that he was injured and not in optimum physical condition. He was injured again in 2019, when he was the favorite for the world title in Doha. Also of note was the performance of the 4 x 400-meter relay in Rio (made up of Isaac Makwala, Karabo Sibanda, Onkabetse Nkobolo, Leaname Maotoanong), which finished fifth and won the 2019 All-Africa Games. Two years later, at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Botswana won the second Olympic medal in its history in the men's 4 x 400 m relay, with the quartet of Isaac Makwala, Baboloki Thebe, Zidane Ngozi and Bayapo Ndor taking bronze. It wasn't until the Paris Olympics that Botswana won a historic gold medal in athletics thanks to sprinter Letsile Tebogo, who dominated the 200 m event. The Botswana men's 4x400m relay also won a silver medal at the last Olympic Games.
Discovering a spectacular nature
Botswana is undoubtedly a great safari destination. Wildlife is king here, and the spectacle of wildlife can be compared to few other countries. The immensity of the natural territories, with their wide variety of landscapes, allows travellers to immerse themselves completely and open up their senses. The country's very low population density (around 4 inhabitants/km²) and low-volume tourism policy guarantee privileged wildlife viewing. Here, you may not see another vehicle all day in any of the country's reserves. The Okavango Delta, Moremi, Chobe, Makgadikgadi, Central Kalahari and Tuli Block are treasures of African nature. While the classic approach to discovering these exceptional natural sites is by all-terrain vehicle - the famous game-drive - you can also try other means of travel: walking, mountain biking, mokoro (Okavango Delta dugout canoe), horseback riding, motorboats, helicopters or even walking alongside elephants accustomed to humans, which will enable you to get to know these magnificent creatures better.
Walking is also possible outside the reserves, particularly in the Tsodilo Hills.
Alternatively, anglers can indulge in their favorite activity in the Okavango Panhandle or in the Kasane region, where the Chobe and Zambezi rivers meet.
