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The University of Botswana (UB) has expressed its commitment to spearheading national efforts to protect Botswana’s rich yet increasingly threatened cultural heritage. Speaking at a high-level stakeholder engagement on heritage and knowledge development, Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, underscored the urgent need to preserve traditional practices, indigenous knowledge and historical sites to ensure they were not lost to future generations.

“We have a rich heritage but we have not been doing enough to preserve it. If we do not act now, the next generation will not even know it existed,” said Professor Norris. He lamented that while tourism in Botswana often focused on well-known destinations such as the Okavango Delta, significant historical sites like Manyana and Shoshong  among others remained overlooked.

Highlighting the economic potential of heritage, Professor Norris urged for the integration of heritage conservation into national development strategies. “This is not just about culture; it's a business opportunity. We must work with government and partners to take ownership. Soon we might not even find a single traditional hut standing,” he warned.

UB, he noted, has the human capital, expertise and research capability to lead this transformation. “We have made great strides in developing human capital and contributing to the global knowledge ecosystem. But now, we must also drive innovation rooted in our own history, culture and identity,” said Professor Norris. He cited missed opportunities such as the closure of the Selebi-Phikwe mine without sustainable economic alternatives, arguing that Botswana must now diversify and develop new heritage-based products for commercial use.

For her part, Dr Susan Keitumetse, UNESCO Chair of African Heritage Studies and Sustainable Development at the University of Botswana, echoed the Vice Chancellor’s sentiments, stating that heritage must be seen as a knowledge asset that informed policy and drove development.

“We need to spread our knowledge across the world but we must start by integrating cultural knowledge into our campuses. Our African languages, traditional crafts like hide processing and indigenous philosophies are grossly underrepresented on the global stage,” she said.

She also cautioned against relying on outdated policy frameworks derived from foreign models, calling instead for a renewed emphasis on community-based heritage preservation and the promotion of localised knowledge systems.

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe, highlighted UB’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Botswana Society and urged concerted national efforts to preserve all forms of heritage including traditional cuisine.  “Batswana never used to grapple with non-communicable diseases. But since we shifted from traditional diets to modern ones, the country is now facing an alarming rise in lifestyle diseases,” he said.

He also cited the Dithubaruba Festival as a significant cultural event in Molepolole, noting that few people realised it commemorated a historic battle involving the Bakwena. “Most of our ravellers don’t know Dithubaruba was about a war. We need to start educating our people about the meaning behind these cultural events,” he urged.

German Ambassador to Botswana, Her Exellency Gabriella Bennemann, highlighted Germany’s commitment to cultural exchange, noting that Setswana was taught in  one Germany institution.  She underscored the importance of building synergies through research.  “Research must break walls between disciplines to find real-world solutions. Universities must be at the centre of this,” she observed.

French Ambassador to Botswana, His Excellency Olivier Brochenin, highlighted France’s collaboration with the Botswana National Museum and expressed eagerness to strengthen ties by linking the University of Botswana with French universities. “Museums should work with universities to improve heritage management. We also need to listen more to communities, they know what’s worth preserving,” he said. He added that food and language were vital cultural elements that deserved formal policy protection.

From jewellery and fashion design to language, food and traditional architecture, stakeholders agreed that Botswana's heritage offered vast potential for development. UB is ready to lead the charge, not only to preserve the past but to build a culturally rich and economically vibrant future.