Travellers on the Gaborone-Kanye road must have noticed something special just before they reach the village of Kumakwane.

The sight of a variety of African rugs hanging from the fences of the Sakeng la Badimo orchard, which is about 500m before entering Kumakwane from Gaborone, is inescapable.

If the name Sakeng la Badimo does not ignite one's African cultural sense then the sight of these rugs and sculptures should remind you - if you are an African - of your African roots.

It is here that Bridget Kuruneri and her son George produce these goods, which have no doubt given this place along this busy highway its unique setting.

Motorists cannot help but stare every time they drive-by. In the evening and onweekends, cars line up by the road side as either owners and passengers stop over to buy or just simply admire these masterpieces.

Kuruneri, who is originally from Serowe in the Central District, says most of the people who visit the place are the young aged between 18 and 48 years. For some unexplained reasons she gets more customers on Wednesdays.

"On Wednesdays a lot of people come here to buy, some would just be passing by, but suddenly stop while some would be people who drive here specifically to buy our products and return to their respective places," Kuruneri told Arts and Culture.

Her products include handbags as well as small women's pouches made from natural fiber extracted from some plants in the village and its environs.

The rugs made from a thin peel from inside the bark of a Mowana tree are particularly popular. Naturally the peel is beige in colour, but to give the mats different colours Kuruneri normally cooks some of them to give them a brown colour while she sometimes uses dye for blue or black patterns.

The woman has never received any formal training but learnt her weaving skills from her Zimbabwean uncle. "I only learnt this a few years ago after I brought in my uncle to come and teach me, and now I have mastered the art and I produce all these by myself.

My son George is the one who does the sculptures and makes the flower pots," she said with a great sense of satisfaction.

The wood George uses to carve the sculptures is harvested from Robelela in the Bobirwa sub-district while the stones are collected from the Dikgatlong dam, which is in the Bobirwa area as well.

Kuruneri used to sell her products at the Gaborone Main Mall but since moving to Sakeng la Badimo the ancient gods seem to have smiled on her as business has boomed, according to her.

Her products have attracted many people, including lodge owners and safari camp operators eager to woo foreign tourists. But while most people in this kind of business claim that only foreigners show interest in their curios, Kuruneri says most of her clients are locals.

"Of course tourists do come here but most of my clients are Batswana of all races. I must say I make more money here than I used to while at the Main Mall," she said with a grin.