Discover Mathathane: Culture and Landscape

A 2014 study describes a zebra dance group in Mathathane whose dancers are women. Nearby is the Thune Dam in the Kalahari; the Thune Rock Art sites are located near the dam. This brings together a local cultural connection, the Kalahari landscape and a cultural heritage theme.

Culture and Projects Around Mathathane

A 2016 report classified the Thune Rock Art sites as Bobirwa cultural sites and described their protection under the Monuments and Relics Act of 2001. Their connection to the Thune Dam is specific: the rock art sites are located near the dam. For trip planning, this connection offers a different perspective from a description of the Kalahari landscape itself.

In the wider regional area, Molema is a joint venture between the three villages of Motlhabaneng, Lentswe le Moriti and Mathathane, and the tour operators Tuli Safari Lodge and Talana Farms. Near Mathathane, Molema Bush Camp was established in 2000 as a community tourism offering for the benefit of the MOLEMA community. As a community-based tourism project, Molema Bush Camp was managed and operated by Tuli Safari Lodge.

Landscape and Cultural Heritage in the Central District

As a broader context, the overarching destination of the Central District offers its own perspective on the landscape. The Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape there comprises a mountain range about 70 kilometres long and about 15 kilometres wide, rising around 400 metres above its surroundings. Deep gorges have formed in the Tswapong Hills. Natural springs feed seasonal rivers; there are also streams, from which waterfalls form after heavier rain and flow into lagoons. The waterfalls include deep, moss-lined pools.

Moremi Gorge in the Tswapong Hills area of the Central District can be reached on foot via a steep climb and is the source of three permanent waterfalls. The first two form large waterholes. The uppermost waterfall is ten metres high and plunges over rock ledges into a densely vegetated lagoon. The gorge is of great religious and spiritual significance to the local community and was declared a National Monument by the Department of National Museums and Monuments. Natural features and cultural significance are equally important to understanding this place.

Goo-Moremi Gorge lies at the northern end of the Tswapong Hills, next to Manonnye-Moremi Gorge. A 2017 report describes it as an opportunity for rock climbing. This is a different focus from the waterfalls and spiritual heritage of Moremi Gorge; both descriptions refer to places in the broader Central District.

As a courtesy, visitors are advised to ask the local Headman for permission before entering the Tswapong Hills. Make this request before visiting the area.

Choose Your Accommodation Search Area

When searching for a holiday rental, it can help to start by deciding on the geographical focus: do you want to centre your search on Mathathane, its local connections and nearby surroundings, or are you mainly interested in the Tswapong Hills as a landscape within the broader Central District? This way, you can tailor your search to the themes you want to shape your trip, rather than mixing up different geographical scales.

Mathathane and its nearby surroundings offer a local cultural connection, as well as themes related to the Thune Dam and the Thune Rock Art sites. The Central District also offers views of mountain ranges, gorges, springs and waterfalls. Consider which of these focuses matters most to your trip planning, then choose the right search location for your holiday rental.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Palapye, Nata, Selibe-Phikwe, Lentswelemoriti, Mahalapye, Letlhakane.

Back to the main travel guide: Central District.