Who are the Motswana and Tswana of Botswana?

The tribal name “Tswana” lives on in the name “Botswana”, and the names all people of Botswana use to describe themselves when speaking of themselves as citizens of Botswana, the plural Batswana, and the singular Motswana (so Mma Ramotswe is a Motswana, and Mma Makutsi is a Motswana, and Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi together are Batswana).

What was the role of the Tswana chief?

Tswana chiefdoms in southern Africa were relatively complicated. The chief (kgosi) oversaw all tribal activities, including the administration of justice, allocation of tribal labor, and parcelling out of land. The relatives of the chief and his adherents were at the uppermost level of the stratified system.

Where do the majority of the Tswana people live?

The Tswana are the native people of south-western Botswana and of the North West province of South Africa, where the majority of the Tswana live.

Where did the Tswana people live during the Iron Age?

Several Iron Age cultures flourished from around 900 AD, including the Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age settlement. The Toutswe were based in the eastern region of what is now Botswana, relying on Tswana cattle breed held in kraals as their source of wealth.