Tswana+People

The Tswana people are a group from Southern Africa that speak Bantu. About eighty percent of the populations of Botswana, a country in Southern Africa, are ethnic Tswana people. The modern republic of Botswana is named for the Tswana people and their eight major tribes. All dynasties within the country are related because the three main branches were formed in the fourteenth century when brothers, Kwena, Ngwaketse, and Ngwato, broke away from the family to start their own tribes. They went off in search of relief from a drought and land for their pastures. Music is a large part of their culture; it is taught in schools even up to the college level. They perform ceremonies at events such as funerals and weddings. Spirits are another important part of their culture. They pray to them often wishing for things such as rain, healing, or good fortune. Traditionally, wealth is measured in cattle because they are necessary for marriage and feeding the family. Men are thought of as superior to women; women are often left out of political and religious gatherings. A traditional women’s clothing style is a voluminous outfit of dull color covered by a colorful apron tied in the back and a headscarf. The largest amount of Tswana people live in South Africa, three million of them. They take up a large group of the black minority populations and Tswana is one the eleven official languages of South Africa. These people entered South Africa by crossing the Limpopo River and often formed clans with other natives. No one was ever tied to one clan, so people could easily move amongst different groups.