Manyana Rock Paintings

On a rock face at Manyana are San paintings in red ochre showing giraffe, eland and human figures, among the more accessible rock art in southeastern Botswana. Nearby stands a large fig tree that local tradition connects with David Livingstone, who worked in this area in the 1840s. The site is unfenced and reached on a short walk from the village, usually with a guide from the community who will also point out the paintings that are easy to walk past.

What you actually see

• The ochre paintings - giraffe, eland and human figures on the rock face.
• The cliff - the sandstone wall the paintings are on, at the edge of the village.
• The fig tree - a large tree associated by tradition with Livingstone.
• The village setting - the site sitting directly beside a working village.

When to go

April to September is the most comfortable. Morning light on the painted face is the best. Summer afternoons are hot with no shade at the rock.

Honest expectations

The paintings are faded and some panels are damaged by graffiti. There is no formal protection or interpretation. Finding the site and the panels needs a village guide.

Nearby

Kolobeng mission is north, and Gaborone is northeast.