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Botswana - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Don’t just see the sights—get to know the people.
Botswana is a country of contrasts. Culturally, the people are overwhelmingly Bantu, but with more than twenty different ethnic groups and over thirty languages spoken, the society is by no means homogeneous.
Culture Smart! Botswana introduces you to the lives of the people. It looks at the history that has shaped the society and shows the importance of traditional customs and values for both travelers and businesspeople alike. It describes how the Batswana live, work, and play, and how to avoid the pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding.
Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
Botswana is a country of contrasts. Culturally, the people are overwhelmingly Bantu, but with more than twenty different ethnic groups and over thirty languages spoken, the society is by no means homogeneous.
Culture Smart! Botswana introduces you to the lives of the people. It looks at the history that has shaped the society and shows the importance of traditional customs and values for both travelers and businesspeople alike. It describes how the Batswana live, work, and play, and how to avoid the pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding.
Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
might-get
February 9, 2023I'm thinking maybe this would enhance my (remembered) pleasure in The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Volume 6 series, set in Botswana as they were. Or if I would get all nit-picky saying the author, Alexander McCall Smith didn't it was like that? However, Botswana has a very interesting history.
Sir Seretse Khama, who would have been king, renounced his royalty on Botswana becoming independent in order to become the first President. He was married to a white, English clerk. And the British government, the Botswana government, the apartheid government of South Africa were up in arms about this interracial relationship.
Britain was developing an atomic bomb and needed uranium. The South Africans would only supply it if the British stopped the marriage. Although both Seretse and Ruth were Anglicans, Bishop of London, Bishop of London, William Wand, said they would only be allowed a church wedding if the government agreed. They didn't. They got married in a registry office.
Botswana has two distinctions. It is one of the richest countries in Africa and also one of the most affected by AIDS in the world.
Sir Seretse Khama, who would have been king, renounced his royalty on Botswana becoming independent in order to become the first President. He was married to a white, English clerk. And the British government, the Botswana government, the apartheid government of South Africa were up in arms about this interracial relationship.
Britain was developing an atomic bomb and needed uranium. The South Africans would only supply it if the British stopped the marriage. Although both Seretse and Ruth were Anglicans, Bishop of London, Bishop of London, William Wand, said they would only be allowed a church wedding if the government agreed. They didn't. They got married in a registry office.
Botswana has two distinctions. It is one of the richest countries in Africa and also one of the most affected by AIDS in the world.
December 29, 2025
Helpful guide! Doesn’t go as much into detail on the history of various religions in Botswana as I would like, but it serves its purpose and is brief, which is nice.
March 19, 2012
The information was helpful and accurate, although sometimes overly optimistic. It's nice to have a real Motswana to talk to about the stuff in this book, however, because the book is rather confusing in some places. The sentence structure was quite awkward in many places. I had trouble decoding what exactly the author was trying to communicate sometimes.
February 12, 2017
It's difficult to review this one since I haven't traveled to Botswana yet, but I appreciated the short-yet-thorough overview of Batswana history and culture. I think it will be helpful for me when I get there. I wish they had an updated edition, though - this one is almost 10 years old, so I imagine that the sections on technology and economy are rather outdated.
February 21, 2018
Very helpful
This was a very helpful guide to local manners and protocols. Technology information is not up to date but this is hardly surprising.
This was a very helpful guide to local manners and protocols. Technology information is not up to date but this is hardly surprising.
May 28, 2022
I appreciated how frank this author was regarding the country. Really interesting bits of info.
October 13, 2025
I recommend this handy paperback as a quick introduction to the history, culture, and customs of Botswana for first-time travelers to the country.
February 2, 2026
Super informative and spot on
March 8, 2007
A quick read that gives a surprisingly good review of Botswana culture for a travel book. Would be useful to anyone traveling to the country with a desire to have a general understanding of the history, politics, and cultural aspects of the country and its people.
May 23, 2012
Nice read, learned something new...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews