Serowe
A large Ngwato village of traditional homesteads, with a hilltop royal cemetery and the Khama III memorial museum.
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Serowe is one of the largest traditional villages in southern Africa, a sprawl of homesteads around a central kgotla, and it has been the Bangwato capital since 1902 when the people moved here from Old Palapye. Above the village is Thathaga hill with the royal cemetery, where Khama III and Seretse Khama are buried among others. The Khama III Memorial Museum, in a former colonial residence, covers the family and the village's history, and the writer Bessie Head lived and worked here.
What you actually see
- The royal cemetery - the Khama family graves on the hill above the village.
- The Khama III Memorial Museum - family and regional history in a colonial house.
- The kgotla - the traditional meeting place at the centre of the village.
- The homesteads - traditional compounds spread across a very large area.
When to go
April to September is the dry season and the most comfortable. The museum keeps normal weekday hours and shorter ones at weekends. Summer heat is severe on the hill.
Honest expectations
The village is huge and spread out, so getting between sites takes a vehicle. The cemetery is a working royal burial ground and behaviour there matters. The museum is small.
Nearby
Old Palapye is southeast, and Khama Rhino Sanctuary is nearby.
What to pack for Serowe
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.