Happy Independence Day, Botswana: 30 September and the Setswana Spoken on Both Sides of the Border

Happy Independence Day, Botswana. On 30 September 1966 the Bechuanaland Protectorate became the Republic of Botswana, with Sir Seretse Khama as its first president, and every year the country marks it with Botswana Day. The young republic named its money pula, the Setswana word for rain, because in a dry country rain is the wealth worth naming a currency after. Pula! is still what a crowd shouts back at the end of a speech.

The name of the country tells you who it belongs to: the Batswana, the people whose language is Setswana.

So here is a question worth sitting with over the holiday. Where do most Setswana speakers actually live?

What is Botswana Day?

Botswana Day falls on 30 September and marks the day in 1966 when the Bechuanaland Protectorate became independent as the Republic of Botswana. The country’s name means “land of the Tswana”, which makes the day a good moment to look at the language that name points to.

Two censuses, one language

Statistics Botswana’s preliminary results from the 2022 Population and Housing Census put the whole population of Botswana at about 2.35 million people. That figure includes everyone, whatever language they speak at home.

Now look south. South Africa’s Census 2022 found that Setswana is the language spoken most often at home by 8.3% of people. With a national population of just over 62 million, that works out at roughly five million people. In North West province, the figure is 72.8%, which is why towns like Mahikeng feel so familiar to visitors from Gaborone.

Put those numbers side by side and the answer is clear: even if every single person in Botswana spoke Setswana at home, South Africa would still have more Setswana home speakers. The language is bigger than the border.

How did that happen?

The borders of Southern Africa were drawn in the colonial era, and they did not follow language, so Setswana-speaking communities ended up in more than one country. Setswana is one of South Africa’s official languages under section 6 of its Constitution, and Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution also lists Tswana among its officially recognised languages.

What this means for a learner

• One language opens doors in at least two countries, and you will meet speakers in Zimbabwe too.
• You will hear some differences in spelling and in everyday words between Botswana and South African Setswana, just as British and South African English differ.
• On Bantu Plaza we teach Botswana spelling, and our tutors can tell you where a South African speaker might say it differently.

Setswana is the language of a nation, but not only of one country.

Words to know

In everyday conversation

If you only learn one phrase before Botswana Day, make it the greeting. Adding mma or rra is what turns a plain hello into a respectful one, and it works in Gaborone and Mahikeng alike:

• Dumela, mma. O kae? Hello, ma’am. How are you?
• Ke teng, rra. Wena o kae? I’m well, sir. And you?
• Ke tswa kwa Gaborone. Ke ithuta Setswana. I am from Gaborone. I am learning Setswana.

Quick facts

• Botswana Day is on 30 September, marking independence as a republic in 1966.
• Botswana’s 2022 census preliminary results counted about 2.35 million people.
• In South Africa’s Census 2022, 8.3% of people speak Setswana most often at home, roughly five million people.
• In North West province the share is 72.8%.
• Setswana is official in South Africa, and Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution recognises Tswana.

Frequently asked questions

When is Botswana Day?

Botswana Day is on 30 September. It marks 30 September 1966, when the Bechuanaland Protectorate became the Republic of Botswana.

Is Setswana spoken in South Africa?

Yes. Setswana is one of South Africa’s official languages, and Census 2022 found it is the main home language of 8.3% of people nationally and 72.8% in North West province.

Do more Setswana speakers live in South Africa or Botswana?

By the census numbers, South Africa. Roughly five million South Africans speak Setswana most often at home, while Botswana’s whole population is about 2.35 million.

Over to you

If you grew up speaking Setswana in South Africa, have you ever been told in Botswana that you sound different? What was the word that gave you away? You can check the numbers yourself in Stats SA’s Census 2022 release, and read about another Botswana tradition in our story on Dikgafela, the harvest tribute to the kgosi.

Explore the language on our Setswana hub, or go from A1 to C2 with the Setswana Complete Language Pack. For Botswana Day, start a free 5-minute Setswana lesson or book a trial with a Setswana tutor.