22 Sep 2026

The sound of rain falling on a corrugated iron roof, the neat lines of a newly fenced property and the quiet surroundings of Mapoka village may seem ordinary to a passer-by.

For Dr Kutlwano Mukokomani, however, they tell a much deeper story.

They speak of home, loss, family and a promise to keep his parents’ legacy alive.

Standing on the grounds of Mapoka Guest House, a property he has developed in his home village, Dr Mukokomani sees more than buildings. He sees the continuation of a family tradition that began long before the first brick was laid.

His parents were property developers, and growing up, he watched them invest in land and buildings across the country.

Those experiences shaped his understanding of property not simply as an investment, but as something that could provide stability, create opportunities and remain in a family long after its founders were gone.

Years later, that childhood lesson would take on a new dimension. 

In 2021, Dr Mukokomani lost both his parents.

The loss, he says, left a void that could not easily be filled. But it also forced him to reconsider his relationship with the family property in Mapoka.

“After losing my parents, I wanted to do something that would persuade me to be always going that side,” he recalls.

That decision marked the beginning of a journey that would transform a plot into a growing community enterprise.

For years, Dr Mukokomani had imagined establishing accommodation in Mapoka. Living and working in Gaborone, however, stalled the idea’implemetation.

Instead of allowing grief to pull him away from his roots, he channelled it into something constructive.

He began looking at the village differently, paying attention to the needs of people who lived and worked there.

Teachers and police officers emerged as some of those facing accommodation challenges.

He started modestly, constructing six residential units to provide accommodation while testing the potential of the development.

Then circumstances began to work in his favour.

The completion of an access road in 2024 improved connectivity, while the presence of the nearby police station and the steady movement of visitors attending weddings, funerals and other events created additional demand for accommodation.

What began as a few residential units gradually evolved into Mapoka Guest House.

For Dr Mukokomani, the development is not simply about putting up buildings and generating income.

It is about bringing activity and opportunity to a village which he feels deeply connected.

“The intention was not to make more profit,” he says.

His motivation, he explains, is rooted partly in the example set by his parents.

“My parents have been property developers with a lot of property countrywide. This gave me the drive to follow suit,” he says.

With a warm reception from travellers and workers alike, Mapoka Guest House has grown into more than an accommodation facility. For Dr Mukokomani, it is a living tribute to his parents and the values they instilled in him.

Whenever he walks its grounds or studies a new blueprint, he is reminded of the lessons he learnt from his parents decades ago, that land can provide security, create opportunity and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. 

In his hands, the project has become a reminder that property can be about more than market value. It can preserve memories, strengthen communities and carry a family’s values from one generation to the next, one plot, one building and one homecoming at a time. ENDS