26 May 2025

North West District Council chairperson, Itumeleng Kelebetseng has hailed the Ngamiland Letlhafula Festival for supporting value chain development in the cultural heritage space. 

Speaking in an interview on the side-lines of the event held on May 24, he appreciated that the event, organised by Rileys Hotel in Maun brought together various artisans and entrepreneurs to showcase what the region could offer in terms of heritage and culture saying this would also improve their market base and enhance the business environment. 

The annual festival celebrates the rich heritage, traditional food, music, dance and the diverse culture of the Ngamiland region. 

“This initiative is a welcome development as it has the potential to boost the tourism industry and promote cultural tourism, a component which remains untapped in our country.  

It will also be an inspiration to many local artisans as it would create and nurture the entrepreneurship environment in the Ngamiland region,” he added. 

Kelebetseng further highlighted that Maun had become a renowned tourist destination and believed that the festival would add value to tourists’ stay as well as leave a lasting impression on tourists and visitors attending it. 

He thanked the companies and individuals who contributed to the success of the event and appealed to other stakeholders to come on board saying the profound benefits that came with hosting the event in Maun brought both economic and social benefits to the local community. Cresta hotels head of marketing and communications manager, Lorato Tebogo thanked the Maun community for supporting the festival saying this time, the event attracted a lot of attention locally and internationally. 

Initially, she said the event attracted less than 1 000 but this time it attracted close to 1 500 saying that was an indication that Batswana still have a strong connection to their culture and believed in working together and being united as a community. 

She said the event was growing every year and currently, they were contemplating to hold the Letlhafula day activities twice in Maun as per the community’s request saying they appreciated that the event did not only bring people together but also supported small businesses, arts and contributed significantly towards heritage tourism. 

“We have seen a lot of Batswana from all walks of life and some tourists from neighbouring countries such as Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and America gracing the spectacular event, which was spiced with locally made products being exhibited and this symbolised the dedication and creativity displayed by locals,” she added. 

Tebogo also acknowledged that some tourists were impressed as it was their first time to see the real and vibrant culture saying they shared that the event made their experience authentic. 

Tourists appreciated that the welcoming nature of Batswana made them feel at ease and valued. 

However, the festival featured a line-up of different local artistes from the region and outside the region displaying a magnificent and electrifying performance of the country’s vibrant and rich culture. 

Locals marked the day by wearing traditional outfits, eating a mouthwatering traditional dishes and spending time with other stakeholders to learn from each other. 

The event was held under the theme: Ngwao Se Ga Rona. BOPA.