Tswana People Facts & Worksheets

The Tswana (Batswana), also known as the Western Sotho, are a diverse people that includes Hurutshe, Kwena, and other smaller groups in addition to the successors of the once-powerful Tlhaping and Rolong societies. They speak Setswana, closely linked to Sesotho, and can generally be understood together.

See the fact file below for more information about the Tswana People, or you can download our 25-page Tswana People worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY HISTORY OF THE TSWANA PEOPLE

• Along with the Khoisan, the Batswana primarily descended from Bantu-speaking tribes. Around 600 CE, the Tswana tribe moved southward into Africa, settling in tribal enclaves as farmers and herders. 
• Around 900 CE, several Iron Age cultures flourished, notably the Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age village.
• The Tswana cattle breed, kept in kraals, was the Toutswe people’s primary source of income when they lived in the eastern part of what is now Botswana. It is unknown exactly when the Tswana-speaking people who eventually ruled the area first arrived.
• Trade products from Asia, like beads, found their way to Botswana mainly because of these diverse peoples’ connections to trade routes that extended through the Limpopo River to the Indian Ocean. 
• By 1500 CE, at the latest, members of the Bakwena chieftaincy under the legendary Kgabo II arrived in the southern Kalahari, driving the residents of the Bakgalagadi west into the desert.
• Kweneng Ruins, the remains of another significant Tswana metropolis, can be seen in South Africa’s Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. 
• It was the largest of several sizable communities inhabited by Tswana speakers before the arrival of the Europeans and was populated from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
• Over a 10 km by 2 km area, several circular family compounds with stone walls can be found.

TSWANA DURING THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES

• As a result of the discovery of diamonds and gold in Southern Africa, thousands of Tswana men continued to be drawn to the mines after the introduction of the migrant labor system and the industrialization of South Africa in the 1860s and 1870s. 
• In the northern area of Southern Africa, the Bechuanaland Protectorate was founded in 1885, while in the south, British Bechuanaland (now the Republic of Botswana) was founded as a Crown colony.
• By the end of the nineteenth century, the Cape Colony, the Afrikaner republics, and British possessions had taken control of nearly all Tswana land. 
• The Tswana rulers lost most of their residual authority when the Cape, Transvaal, and British Bechuanaland merged into the Union of South Africa in 1910, and the Tswana people were compelled to pay taxes to the British Crown.
• Over time, Tswana people began to rely on migrant labor, particularly in the mines, for a living.
• All Black South Africans saw additional changes with the advent of apartheid in the 1940s. Under the direction of Chief Lucas Mangope, the South African government established homelands in 1953 and proclaimed the Tswana living in South Africa to be citizens of the Bophuthatswana homeland.
• The homeland mainly comprised seven disjointed pockets close to or directly adjacent to the Botswana–South Africa boundary. Throughout the 1980s, efforts were made to consolidate the region and its inhabitants by incorporating a series of tiny outlying land holdings into Bophuthatswana. 
• Around 1.8 million people lived there in the late 1980s, and it was thought that Tswana people comprised 70% of that population. Other Sotho people, Xhosa, Zulu, and Shangaan, comprised the remaining 25%. In other parts of South Africa, there were another 1.5 million Tswana.
• Despite the region’s tremendous mineral resources, most of the Bophuthatswana population was impoverished. 
• The industrial sector of the home country paid less than South Africa did, and most workers commuted daily to positions outside the country.
• In contrast to the affluent foreign visitors visiting Sun City, a gaming resort in Bophuthatswana, the poverty of locals was especially glaring.

LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND BELIEFS OF THE TSWANA PEOPLE

• Bophuthatswana, the region that made up the various parts of the former homeland, as well as nearby regions of the North-West Province and the Northern Cape, are home to a large population of Tswana. Tswana people can also be found in the majority of South African cities.
• Although some Tswana chiefdoms were more highly stratified than those of other Sotho tribes or the Nguni, Tswana culture, social organizations, rites, language, and religious beliefs are similar to those of the other two Sotho groups (Pedi and Sotho). 
• The legal system in Tswana culture is notoriously complicated, encompassing a hierarchy of courts and arbitrators as well as severe penalties for criminal convictions.
• Like many nearby Nguni peoples, the Sotho historically relied on a mix of livestock keeping and crop cultivation for livelihood.
• In addition, the Sotho were accomplished artisans known for their expertise in carving ivory, wood, and metal.
• Most Sotho people lived in small chiefdoms, similar to the Nguni, where status was partly based on kinship with the chief.
• The center of life in most traditional Tswana settlements is the cattle kraal. The Tswana strongly believe in charitable labor for other families, especially during the sowing and harvesting seasons. 
• Letsema is the name for this kind of volunteer labor. Letsema is the term the South African government has chosen to urge its citizens to volunteer.
• Additionally, Sotho villages were divided into age sets or teams of men or women who were roughly the same age. 
• According to the age set, men were organized for combat and herding, and women were responsible for crop cultivation and religious duties.
• The village frequently marked this transition by holding several ceremonies, including, in some cases, an initiation ceremony. An entire age set typically passes from one task to the next. 
• In the past, girls and boys were carried separately to the bush in the winter for elaborate rites spanning a few months to mark the transition into maturity. The boys were circumcised. The most complex life-cycle rituals are becoming funerals.
• Tswana people are renowned for their ability to integrate foreigners and make them ‘their’ people while maintaining the integrity of their institutions.

TSWANA TRIBE

Tswana People Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Tswana People across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Tswana People. The Tswana (Batswana), also known as the Western Sotho, are a diverse people that includes Hurutshe, Kwena, and other smaller groups in addition to the successors of the once-powerful Tlhaping and Rolong societies.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Tswana People Facts
2. Defining the Tswana
3. Truth or Lie?
4. Building Vocabulary
5. Tswana History
6. Demographics
7. Tswana Culture
8. Societal Roles
9. Mine and Theirs
10. Addressing Issues
11. Slogan

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Tswana people?

The Tswana people, also known as Batswana, are a Bantu ethnic group indigenous to Southern Africa. They are one of the major ethnic groups in South Africa, Botswana, and parts of Namibia and Zimbabwe.

What language do the Tswana people speak?

The Tswana people speak Setswana, which is a Bantu language. Setswana is widely spoken in South Africa and is one of the official languages of the country.

What are some cultural practices of the Tswana people?

The Tswana people have a rich cultural heritage that includes various traditions and practices. These include storytelling, music, and dance. Traditional music often involves intricate rhythms and harmonies, and dances are characterized by rhythmic movements and colorful attire.

What is the traditional social structure of the Tswana people?

Traditionally, the Tswana people organized themselves into clans led by chiefs. These chiefs held authority over their respective clans and played important roles in mediating disputes, maintaining order, and overseeing rituals. This traditional structure has evolved over time due to colonial and modern influences.

How have the Tswana people contributed to South African society?

The Tswana people have made significant contributions to South African society in various fields. They have produced notable figures in politics, literature, and the arts. For example, former South African president Seretse Khama was of Tswana descent. The Tswana culture’s music, dance, and art have also enriched the cultural landscape of South Africa.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Tswana People Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 13, 2023