26 Apr 2017

One of the most celebrated and anticipated cultural events comes to Botswana Craft on May 6 under the theme A re ipele ka dijo, Mmino le kapari: Pula matsorotsoro, kotla masiela, kotla dirojana.
Orange Letlhafula is a popular annual cultural event celebrating Botswana’s diverse culture through music, dance, food, drink, traditional games and this year marks its 15 years of existence and thrilling Batswana’s cultural palate.
Over the years, the audience have fully embraced the occasion, adding greatly to the atmosphere and excitement of the day by dressing up in their best traditional outfits.
Carol Kgafela, public relations officer at Orange Botswana said in an interview that the event had grown in leaps and bounds over the years to become one of the must attend cultural events on the annual events calendar.
“The event now features two stages; more food and a wider range of cultural activities,” she said.
She noted that as always, the event would offer locals an unmatched outdoor experience in celebration of this year’s harvest.
“The event is in line with our Setswana culture of celebrating and being thankful for a good ploughing and harvesting season hence our theme for this year,” she said, adding that it has been a good year for Botswana with the recent rains which translated to good harvest.
“This year’s theme celebrates the good rainfall and the great harvest which naturally means that there will be a lot of food for everyone,” she continued.
Kgafela said Orange Letlhafula is different to other cultural events because it is an experiential event.

“It is not just about the food or music as stand-alone, but rather about experiencing everything under one umbrella. We are about taking you back to the good old days of sitting under a tree and enjoying cultural foods, playing Setswana games and listening to traditional music and since it is not an exhibition, we encourage full participation from our patrons,” she said.
Kgafela indicated that at the moment they were happy with the way the event ran and the annual turn out.

“We are always open to feedback from our patrons because feedback allows us to improve and ensure that the event is top notch and gives everyone in attendance a true cultural experience,” said Kgafela.
On the support the event has received over the years, Kgafela said fact that Orange Letlhafula had become a national calendar event was evidenced by support from government and other key stakeholders.
The event is scheduled for 9am-5pm and tickets are available at Botswanacraft.
Tickets retail for P280 adults, P120 for children aged 6-12. ENDS