A 2014 study mentions a zebra dance group in Mathathane whose dancers are women. This establishes a cultural connection right in the village. Thune Dam and the Thune Rock Art sites are nearby; a regional community partnership extends the context beyond individual places. These three perspectives—village, surroundings, and wider region—help organize the different connections when choosing where to travel.

Culture and Landscape in the Surrounding Area

Thune Dam lies in the Kalahari near Mathathane. The Thune Rock Art sites are nearby and are among the Bobirwa cultural sites; a 2016 report mentions their protection under the Monuments and Relics Act of 2001. Alongside the landscape landmark, the sites offer a distinct heritage focus. If you are weighing landscape against cultural themes, these two nearby points of interest provide a clear distinction.

In the wider region, Molema is a community enterprise involving the villages of Motlhabaneng, Lentswe le Moriti, and Mathathane, as well as the tour operators Tuli Safari Lodge and Talana Farms. Mathathane is one of the three participating villages. The partnership highlights Mathathane’s role in a regional context that extends beyond the village boundary.

Central District: Landscape and Heritage

The Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape is located in the wider destination of Central District. It encompasses a mountain range about 70 km long and around 15 km wide, rising approximately 400 m above its surroundings. These figures convey the scale of the landscape. Deep gorges have formed there; natural freshwater springs feed seasonal rivers and streams. The streams form waterfalls with deep, moss-lined pools, and heavier rainfall creates waterfalls that flow into lagoons.

Moremi Gorge in the Tswapong Hills in Central District can be reached on foot via a steep ascent and is the source of three permanent waterfalls. These three waterfalls differ from the seasonal, spring-fed waterways and the waterfalls that form in the Tswapong Hills after heavier rainfall. The first two form large pools; the uppermost waterfall is ten metres high and plunges over rock ledges into a densely vegetated lagoon.

Moremi Gorge in Central District is of great religious and spiritual significance to the local community and has been declared a National Monument by the Department of National Museums and Monuments.

At the northern end of the Tswapong Hills in Central District, Goo-Moremi Gorge lies beside Manonnye-Moremi Gorge. A 2017 report describes rock climbing at Goo-Moremi Gorge as an option. The similarly named gorges have different points of reference: the religious significance and National Monument designation apply to Moremi Gorge, while the climbing option described is at Goo-Moremi Gorge.

As a courtesy, visitors are advised to ask the local headman for permission before entering the Tswapong Hills in Central District.

Discover more destinations: Lentswelemoriti, Letlhakane, Palapye, Selibe-Phikwe, Nata, Mahalapye

Go to the wider travel overview: Central District.