LUX August 2017

lux.acquisition-intl.com/ 32 LUX - August 2017 and different physical attributes, because of the differ- ent environments they eventually occupied.” Tara-Lee then explains to us the fascinating origins of the Tswana tribes, in her own words. “In Botswana, about 1,000 years ago, large chief- doms began to emerge in the area between Sowa Pan and the Tswapong Hills. Large settlements developed on hilltops. These people are known as the ‘Toutswe’, after the first of their capitals, which was excavated on Toutswemogala Hill. Soon, these communities were eclipsed by the Great Zimbabwe Empire, which spread its domain over much of eastern Botswana. “Around 1300 AD, peoples in present-day Transvaal began to coalesce into the linguistic and politi- cal groups they form today. This resulted in the emergence of three main groups: the Bakgalagadi, the Batswana and the Basotho, each of which had smaller divisions. Each group lived in small, loosely knit communities, spread widely over large areas of land. They spoke dialects of the same language and shared many cultural affinities. “Two central features of the history of the Batswa- na are fission and fusion. Groups of people broke off from their parent tribe and moved to new land, creating a new tribe and absorbing or subjugating the people they found there. This is how a single group of Batswana living in the Magaliesberg mountains, in northern Transvaal evolved into the numerous Tswana tribes, which exist today. “In the 18th century, further movements and split-ups of the Batswana resulted in the Tswana tribes which exist today: Bakhurutshe, Bangwato, Bakwena, Bang- waketse, Bakgatla, Batlhokwa, Barolong, Batlhaping and much later, the Batawana. The earlier farming inhabitants of Botswana - the Bakgalagadi - also split into several groups, namely the Bakgwateng, Babolaongwe, Bangologa, Baphaleng, Bashaga and many smaller groups. This then was how the Tswana tribes came to be living in Botswana, as they were until about 200 years ago.” Botswana Footprints has a base in Maun, Botswana and offers lodge bookings, safaris, mobile camping safaris and self-drive bookings for clients who want to explore the surrounding countries. The firm was pleased to receive the Award for Excellence in Luxury Safari Tours & Holidays 2017 – Botswana, as part of the LUX Hospitality Awards. To mark this accolade, we interviewed the owner, Tara-Lee Flory to learn more about the amazing experiences they offer. A Safari Experience of a Lifetime Having looked at the history of the region, Tara-Lee proceeds to tell us what Botswana Footprints does and the marvellous experiences they can provide you with. She also tells us how they always provide the best possible service for all their guests. “Botswana Footprints has a base in Maun, Botswana and offers lodge bookings, safaris, mobile camping safaris and self-drive bookings for clients wishing to visit the beautiful areas in Botswana and surrounding countries. Tell us where you’d like to travel and when and we will do all the rest, leaving you to relax and enjoy your time with us in Africa. Safaris, quad biking, boating, mokoro riding (traditional canoe), fishing, birding, walking, photography, horse riding and scenic flights - we can book them all for you. Botswana’s uniqueness in the abundance of protect- ed wildlife and habitat, offers a safari experience of a lifetime. The history of Botswana is characterised by migrations of peoples into the country, from the north and west and particularly from the east and south, as well as internal movements of groups of people. The owner, Tara-Lee Flory of Botswana Footprints is keen to begin the interview by painting a picture of the region’s history, including details of the first inhab- itants who settled there. The group which eventually emerged as most numerous and dominant, were the Batswana, she tells us. “Their pattern of dividing and migrating saw the for- mation of numerous Tswana tribes and their eventual occupation of all areas of the country. The term ‘Bat- swana’ refers to the ethnic group of people who speak the Setswana language and share the Sotho-Tswana culture and while in its common contemporary usage, it refers to all citizens of the Republic of Botswana, regardless of their ethnic background. The singular is ‘Motswana’: a citizen of the country. ‘Tswana’ is used as an adjective - for example ‘Tswana state’ or ‘Tswana culture’. “The earliest modern inhabitants of southern Africa were the Bushman (San) and the Hottentot (Khoe) peoples. They have lived an almost unchanged life- style in the country since the Middle Stone Age. The physical characteristics of the Khoe and the San are similar. Both tend to have light, almost coppery skin colour, slanted, almond-shaped eyes, high cheek- bones, thin lips and tufted and tightly curled hair. Both speak click languages, though there are major differences between them. Both hunted and collected wild foods, but neither grew crops. “Approximately 60,000 years ago, the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa were of one tribe, probably of Khoe/San type. It is believed that the Bantu-speaking people were an offshoot from the Khoe/San tribe. This occurred in the tropical rain forests of equatorial Africa about 10,000 years ago. The Bantu-speaking people gradually developed darker skin pigmentation HO170036