04/08/2026
THE KGOTLA UNDER THE SHADE - KHUMAGA- Digital Independence Drive
Long before the Kgotla proceedings began, residents had already gathered beneath the shade of the village kgotla's towering trees. The cold winter morning did little to keep them away. Instead, elders, youth and community members patiently filled the Kgotla, a quiet reminder of the respect Khumaga continues to hold for this centuries-old institution.
As discussions unfolded, it became clear that the conversation reached far beyond technology. For many residents, digital innovation had long been viewed as something reserved for graduates, professionals and those living in cities. It was a future that seemed distant from everyday life in Khumaga. Yet with every question asked and every story shared, that distance began to narrow. Curiosity slowly gave way to confidence, and confidence to possibility.
Beneath the shade of the trees, there was something difficult to ignore. At a time when economic uncertainty has left many Batswana wondering where the next opportunity will come from, the people of Khumaga had not given up. They leaned into the conversation with genuine interest, asking not whether they belonged in the digital future, but how they could become part of it. Their questions revealed determination. Their participation revealed resilience.
For a village situated along the banks of the Boteti River and recognised as a gateway to the Makgadikgadi National Park, the discussion naturally turned to opportunity. Tourism has long been a part of Khumaga's identity, but residents spoke of how digital skills could help them tell their own stories, market local businesses, connect with visitors, and create new ways of earning a living. Rather than replacing what already exists, technology was seen as a tool to strengthen the opportunities already rooted within the community.
It is moments like these that give meaning to the Digital Independence Drive. Each visit to a Kgotla is about more than introducing digital tools or explaining emerging technologies. It is about opening a door that many people believed had already closed. It is about reminding communities that innovation is not reserved for cities, universities or large corporations. It belongs just as much to the farmer, the craft maker, the tourism operator, the student and the elder gathered beneath the shade of a village tree.
As the meeting drew to a close, one thing remained unmistakable. The people of Khumaga were not asking to be rescued. They were asking to be included. Beneath the shade of the Kgotla's towering trees, they demonstrated that when communities are given knowledge, opportunity and a seat at the table, hope is no longer just an idea, it becomes the courage to keep building, even in difficult times.
