Tswana in Zimbabwe

The Tswana people are a branch of the Sotho originally from Central and East Africa who settled in what became known as Bechuanaland between AD 600 and AD 700. The origin of the name ‘Tswana’ is not clear but what is known is that it is a word used to describe a conglomeration of black African people who speak Setswana and subscribe to the same culture. The Tswana today are found in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The difference between the Tswana and Sotho languages is so negligible that at times the two languages are labelled Sotho-Tswana. Furthermore, the language and culture of the two ethnic groups are more or less identical in terms of their farming activities, governance systems, religious beliefs and concept of family. In Zimbabwe, the Tswana are found in Bulilima-Mangwe in Matabeleland South Province mainly in Mphoengs between the Ramaquabane and Simukwe rivers near the border with Botswana. There are 2,247 (0.02%) mother-tongue speakers of the Tswana language in Zimbabwe.