Mapping Africa's

National heritage custodians and project collaborators

Located in Gaborone City, the Botswana National Museum, also known as the Department of National Museums and Monuments (DNMM), ), houses some of the world’s most important and unique heritage collections, spanning prehistory through to the 21st century. Founded in 1967 through an Act in Parliament, the institution is tasked with the curation, education and safeguarding of the country’s rich and diverse history.

Like all historic buildings, the museum has required renovations to update its facilities and adapt to new trends. A major extension project was commissioned in 2016 in recognition of the institution’s need to adapt to meet new standards of quality, openness and sustainability. The museum’s original courtyard provides a quiet, green public space and is based on the ancient Tswana homestead with a kgotla (public gathering area) for all visitors. The refurbished building is extended into the original courtyard, binding together old and new.

Since its inception, the DNMM mandate is to act as the legal custodian and repository of knowledge on many aspects of Botswana’s heritage. Since the 1980s, several initiatives have been successfully implemented. One of these is the mobile museum, referred to as Pitse ya Naga mo Maotwaneng (The Zebra on Wheels). This initiative complements the school curriculum by traveling to various schools across the country with visual objects and reference resources on culture, history and the environment for students. A weekly radio programme, Motswedi wa Ditso was later introduced in 1994 as an effort to reach a wider audience, and to inform the public about a wide range of issues relating to heritage.

Click on the images to enlarge.

  • Newly built extention of the Botswana National Museum in Gaborone
    © DNMM, 2024
  • Entrance to the Botswana National Museums
    © DNMM, 2024
  • Green public space based on the ancient Tswana homestead with a kgotla
    (public gathering area)
    © DNMM, 2024

The DNMM is currently involved in several local community-led projects and trusts with a focus on the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. These include: