This year Botswana marked 56 years of independence, and in celebration, the diverse cultures of Wilderness Botswana came together on 28 September to showcase their wonderful traditions, food, dress and dance. There were representations from Baherero, Bakalaka, Ndebele, Scots, Nigerians, Indians and Batswana, all in vibrant attire.
The Wilderness office in Maun held a large Wilderness Family get-together along with the teams from Wilderness Air, Northern Air Maintenance and Wilderness Safaris. A DJ provided the music, while 150 colleagues celebrated their country’s independence, and their heritage, in style.
The celebrations were a huge team effort. Staff cooked up a feast in traditional three-legged pots over open fires, spending some seven hours in preparation.
Here are just some of the menu items everyone enjoyed:
In our camps, guests and staff were invited to an evening of traditional singing and dancing, enjoyed under African skies.
How DumaTau Celebrated Their Independence Day
DumaTau was buzzing with laughter and wide smiles as staff and guests celebrated Botswana’s Independence Day.
The day began by preparing and decorating the camp in blue, white and black. A little healthy competition was in order, as the Great Plains soccer team challenged DumaTau to a match. The DumaTau Lions did us proud with a 4-0 win, giving the camp’s enthusiastic guests a day to remember.
The day’s festivities drew to a close with a traditional night in the boma. A buffet of mouth-watering indigenous dishes was enjoyed alongside a presentation on culture, and why Independence Day is special to Batswana. The evening ended with the DumaTau choir’s joyous singing and dancing.
