Khawa cultural festival proves local is 'lekker'
Larona Makhaiza | Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:46
Hosted annually in the remote village of Khawa in the Kgalagadi District, the festival drew hundreds of adventure enthusiasts and fun lovers who came to witness thrilling quad bike, off road, and 4x4 races and a festival in the dunes.
This years’ festival carried a special meaning as organisers opted for an all local artists line-up and new budding artists in the industry. Some of the artists who were given the opportunity to perform are Ey Brizzy, Double Up, Juu Matere and Chokoma among others.
Presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity of being in a line up for an event of such magnitude, the artists grabbed the opportunity to prove their talent.
From falling off the music industry and relentless advertising of his old songs on Tik Tok, Double Up got the chance to be back on the stage again at Khawa. He did not disappoint as he had the revellers on their feet from the first minute of his performance with his popular Sekukuni song.
Ey Brizzy, one artist who is still making his mark in the music industry with his topping chart songs, Tekedu and Boitumelo had the crowd eating out from the palm of his hands, singing along to his songs.
Reigning Botswana Musician Union awards (BOMU) male artist of the year and YAMA awards winner, Chokoma and Juu Matere, respectively lived up to expectations.
Having established themselves as pioneers of music in the Kgalagadi region, sang in their language, the two delivered an electrifying performance that kept the revellers on their toes hitting the dance floor to party the night away.
Seasoned traditional music group Matsieng turned back the hands of time when they took to the stage as surprise acts reminding people of the good old music that most Batswana grew up listening to.
Just like in other performances, the crowd was immersed in their performances, dancing and singing along.
Locally it cannot be a complete music festival without Dr Vom, generational artist closing off the festival with his famous Tsaya Thobane song dubbed to be Botswana’s second national anthem.
By placing local talent at the forefront, the event demonstrated that Botswana’s own artists have what it takes to headline and keep crowds entertained just as much as any international act.
The Khawa cultural festival segment played a key role in showcasing Botswana’s rich local music.