Heritage Day: Tswana South Africans
South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day on 24 September 2015. We are a proud Rainbow Nation with 11 official languages across our beautiful country, and today we take a look at all our unique cultures that make us one of the most diverse countries in the world.
The Tswana make up about 80% of the population of Botswana.
In the 19th century, a common spelling and pronunciation of Batswana was Bechuana. Europeans therefore referred to the area inhabited by the Tswana as Bechuanaland. In the Tswana language, however, Botswana is the name for the country of the Tswana.
Population: 4 067 248 (2011 Census)
Regions where Tswana people live: Botswana and South Africa
Languages: Tswana
Famous Batswana: Khuli Chana, Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP), Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi of the Royal Bafokeng nation
Traditional attire: A Tswana woman’s traditional dress, which has evolved over the centuries, indicates her position. It is usually a voluminous outfit of dull colour over which she wears a multi-coloured apron tied at the back. This is finished off with a head scarf.
Watch these videos on the Tswana culture in South Africa:
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