Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
12 September 2008
Cultural villages have become fashionable destinations for tourists eager to explore world cultures.
In fact neighbouring South Africa has developed several of these cultural villages, which while offering accommodation, house traditional life styles that are unique to Africa as well.
Botswana might be lagging behind in this aspect of tourism, but cultural icon Judith Sefhako, popular for taking traditional music beyond our borders, is coming up with one.
To be situated at Mmopane Block One, the cultural village will cater for various Tswana cultures and will be an educational centre for pupils/students seeking to learn more about Botswana's cultural diversity.
It will be known as Ditholwana Village (named after the famous cultural music troupe Ditholwana). Sefhako's sketch plan shows that the cultural village will have a craft shop, restaurant, bar, bottle store, performance centre as well as a conference facility. Also in the sketch plan, there is an outdoor stage facing the Kgotla for open air activities.
Sefhako says most people should find the facility accessible as it would be in close proximity to the new Bokamoso Hospital along the Gaborone-Molepolole road.
It is envisaged that the various Tswana cultures will have representatives at the village to discuss their cultures with tourists. " People will be able to eat dishes from the various cultures, sleep in cultural houses, if they want to, as they learn about Botswana," Sefhako told Mmegi.
She says the Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) is backing her business plan while the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has been providing expert advice to ensure the "concept becomes a reality by 2009".
Sefhako says she learned about the concept while she was still an employee in the Department of Culture. "In Zimbabwe and South Africa, for instance, I learned that tourists flock to such cultural villages to buy cultural items, consult traditional doctors, enjoy local music, and other cultural services that tourists love."
She says she decided to come up with a cultural village, after realising that the government cannot do everything. "There are cultural villages that our policy talks about like the Tloutswe Mogala cultural village, for instance."
She is hopeful that the cultural village will be a hit among tourists. " I have been advised that the Hospitality & Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB), will help me market the facility. I am told that if I want to attract tourists I will have to rely on HATAB because they have a strategy to woo tourists for their members," she says when asked whether she does not fear the project might become a white elephant.
Sefhako says this is only the beginning: "The idea is to have several of them around the country. When I was travelling around the world, I saw Disney world; they have Disney centers all over the United States of America, for instance. So I intend to have another centre in the future."
Already a multinational company based in Botswana has pledged millions of Pula for the project, according to the entrepreneur who last year was crowned Five Roses Woman of the Year, for her contribution to the promotion of local culture.
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