15 Oct 2014

The first ever Ngamiland Indigenous Food and Wine festival will take place in Maun from November 28 to 29 at Matswane Show Grounds, confirmed the coordinator of the event, Boyce Sekgoma in an interview. 

Sekgoma said the aim of the event, which would be intended to be an annual affair, was to promote food collection, processing and labeling of indigenous food products. He said indigenous foods were not visible in the Botswana market, hence the need to reverse the present state of affairs.

He said as such, the event purported to promote traditional food, not only from Ngamiland but Botswana as a whole, as well as to promote food processing and diversification in the country.

Sekgoma said their wish was to see indigenous foods properly packaged and sold in shops, adding that the Ngamiland Indigenous food and wine festival would promote tourism and for tourists to appreciate local food and the culinary industry.

There would be several competitions as part of the festival such as the best chef in Ngamiland and the best packaged products. Those involved in field of gathering and selling traditional foods such as Tswii will market themselves and explain their work to the people.

Mr Sekgoma added that different organisations engaged in food processing wiould be invited to be panelists; the audience will also have a chance to do food tasting or buy the diverse local food.

Traditional wines to be showcased include motjema made from palm tree, khadi (rasta wine) made from mogwana wild berries, mokuru wine and beverages like mmilo drink.

People are assured of diverse indigenous food such as bogobe ja lerotse, morogo wa Setswana, sesoswane (fried seeds), mosuthwane, digwapa and many more.

Mr Sekgoma said people and companies engaged in indigenous food collection and food processing could get in touch with them. He added that they also had a facebook page to promote the event. ENDS