South-East District – Iron Age farmers settled by 600 AD
The South-East District has a long history of settlement. During the Early Iron Age, the areas around Gaborone and Otse saw the arrival of agropastoralist farmers. By around 600 AD, these communities had settled in the region as part of the gradual expansion of the Kalundu Tradition, which spread from the Congo-Angolan coast across the Kalahari.
Today the district surrounds Botswana's capital, Gaborone, while its own administrative centre is the village of Ramotswa. Its population has grown strongly, from 60,623 in 2001 to 111,440 in 2022, reflecting the pull of the capital region. Do you know stories about the villages of the South-East and their past? Share them with our community!