Effects of urbanisation and changes in technology on traditional settlements in Botswana: the case of Kanye village

Abstract

This essay attempts to explore, understand and document the effects of urbanisation on traditional settlements in Botswana. It notes that since the 1970s a number of villages have been transformed into urban centres mainly due to their close proximity to Gaborone; location on major transport routes or resource rich areas; technological improvements in transport and communication infrastructure; and government's rural development policies. The transformation has affected villages' morphology; sources of livelihoods; and infrastructure needs. For example, the traditional horseshoe plot layout has been replaced by linear, grid or amorphous patterns while grass thatched mud houses are disappearing in favour of tin roofed and cement block walled structures. Focusing on Kanye, the essay notes that although the process may have reduced rural-urban migration, it has been accompanied by widespread unemployment, poverty, crime and environmental degradation – all of which require immediate attention.

Keywords: Kanye, urbanisation, technological changes, traditional settlements

Botswana Journal of Technology Vol 14(1) 2005: 11-20