Botswana — quotes, proverbs & wisdom

Kgomo e tshwarwa ka dinaka, motho ka mafoko.

“A bull is caught by its horns, but a person is caught by their words.”

A person's own words reveal their true character and can bind them just as surely as an animal is restrained by its horns.

Mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng.

“A mother holds the knife by its sharp edge for the sake of her child.”

A mother will endure pain or danger herself rather than let harm reach her child.

Motho ke motho ka batho.

“A person is a person because of other people.”

No one becomes fully human alone; identity, dignity, and worth are formed through relationships with others.

Kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa.

“A basket of locusts is only filled by people working together.”

Large or difficult tasks, including raising a child or building a community, are accomplished through shared effort, not by any one person alone.

Kgosi ke Kgosi ka morafe.

“A chief is chief only because of the tribe.”

A leader's authority comes from the people they serve, not from themselves; leadership without the people's support is empty.

Diselammapa ga di ratane.

“Traders in the same goods do not love one another.”

People competing in the same trade or pursuit rarely stay on friendly terms with each other.

Ngwedi a tshega letsatsi a re, o mosweu.

“The Moon laughs at the Sun, saying, "You are white."”

Before criticizing someone else's fault, look honestly at yourself; you may share the very flaw you mock.

Manong a ja ka ditshika.

“Vultures eat according to their kinship.”

Those bound by family or kinship ties share what they have and look out for one another before others.

Sejo sennye ga se fete molomo.

“A small portion of food still passes the mouth.”

A small share or a modest gift is still worth accepting with gratitude; something is always better than nothing.

Sedikwa ke ntšwa-pedi ga se thata.

“What is tackled by two is not difficult.”

A hard task becomes manageable when it is shared between two or more people working together.

Ga ke thata ke le nosi, ke thata ka ba bangwe.

“I am not strong alone; I am strong because of others.”

Individual strength is limited; real strength and resilience come from community and mutual support.

Bophokojwe ba ba nkgwe ba itsanye ka mebala.

“Jackals of a kind know one another by their markings.”

Like recognizes like; people of similar character or background naturally find and understand one another.

Motho ga a iphetse.

“A person cannot sustain himself alone.”

No individual is truly self-sufficient; everyone depends on others to survive and thrive.

“Eating without sharing is like swearing with your mouth.”

Enjoying food or good fortune without sharing it with others is treated as a kind of wrongdoing in Batswana community life.

“To give away is to make provision for the future.”

Generosity today is an investment; those you help are likely to help you back when you are in need.

“He who offended forgets, but he who suffered from the offense does not.”

Wrongdoers move on quickly, but the pain they caused stays with the person who was hurt far longer.

“Eyes can see widely: they can cross a river in full flood.”

Sight and understanding can reach further than the body can physically travel; observation overcomes obstacles that block movement.

“What is seen is seen by all.”

Once something is done in public, it cannot be hidden or denied; the whole community bears witness.

“Plenty is like the mist.”

Abundance can vanish as quickly and quietly as morning mist, so prosperity should never be taken for granted.

“Famine hides under the granary.”

Hardship can be close at hand even when things look fine on the surface; visible plenty does not always mean real security.

“To travel is to see.”

Leaving home and experiencing new places broadens a person's knowledge and understanding of the world.

“To kiss the child is to kiss the mother.”

Showing kindness to someone's family or loved ones is itself an act of respect and affection toward that person.

“The cripple is fair in its mother's eyes.”

A mother's love sees the best in her child regardless of any flaw or disability; love does not depend on perfection.

“You cannot keep a bull in the kraal.”

A strong-willed or ambitious individual cannot be permanently confined or held back; sooner or later, they will break free.