The southernmost of the three main Toutswe centres, in the Shoshong hills west of Mahalapye.
Like the others it had a large communal kraal and a hill settlement over smaller villages and cattle posts.
Who he is
- Title
- Chief of the Shoshong hill centre
- Since
- Not pinned
- Family
- Toutswe people
- Confidence
- low
Named by Denbow's survey as one of the three main Toutswe sites; we have not found its exact location, and the point is placed at the Shoshong hills.
What it holds
- The Shoshong hill centre and its pastures
Allies and rivals
The other Toutswe chiefs; the San of the Kalahari to the west.
How things stand that morning
A main Toutswe centre, as far as the survey evidence shows.
Wealth
Cattle.
Military
Nothing known.
Threats
- Drought and overgrazing
Where the sources disagree
- The site's exact position is not known to me; placed at the modern Shoshong hills.
Evidence: Known from survey summaries only.
On the map: District and site location estimated.
Primary sources for Toutswe
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Mapungubwe, the Zimbabwe plateau, Toutswe and the Comoros: the archaeological record (no text; radiocarbon-dated sites). There is no written word from the interior south of the Zambezi or from the Comoros in 1200; all that is known is from excavation. Read online
Sources and studies
- Kieffer and Lindsay, Rise of the Toutswe kingdom (EBSCO Research Starters, 2022, summarising Denbow)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.