The second largest village in Botswana (by population and land area), which is also the tourism capital of Botswana, is located in the oasis part of the Kalahari Desert, where the desert meets the wetlands of the Okavango. Maun is located on the banks of the Thamalakane and Shashe rivers, and it is no surprise that the settlement derives its name from the river reeds that are common in that area.

Maun is the Tribal Capital of the Tawana (Batawana) people – not to be confused with Batswana (Tswana), which is a larger grouping to which Batawana belong. Unlike other Tswana groups, the land of the Batawana is unique in terms of its geography, as while other Tswana tribes settled in the semi-arid savanna of Botswana’s eastern margin, these people sit on the gateway to the Okavango Delta – a dynamic environment filled with diverse flora and fauna, as well as riperian human activity, not commonly observed within other Tswana communities.

The Batawana people, who are an offshoot of the Bangwato of Serowe, migrated to Ngamiland following a chieftainship dispute in the late 18th century. The conflict arose over the legitimacy of Tawana I as the rightful heir to the Bangwato chieftainship, despite being Kgosi Mathiba’s oldest son. This was because his mother was not the Royal Wife, as that distiction went to the mother of Tawana’s younger half-brother, Khama I. Both sides had compelling arguments in staking their claims and eventually Tawana and his followers (from that point on known as Batawana – Tawana’s people) left Serowe to seek greener pastures further north. And greener pastures they did find, as they moved into the wetlands of Botswana’s North-West District. The Okavango Delta, with its permanent waters, papyrus swamps, and seasonal flooding, was a far cry from the semi-arid plains around Serowe.

Batawana first established their capital at Lake Ngami, then moved to Toteng, then Tsao, and finally, in 1915, to Maun. This pattern reflects both the challenges and opportunities of living in the delta region. In 1820, Kwebe, the first capital located on the foothills of Kwebe Hills and peripheries of Lake Ngami, dried up, forcing Kgosi Moremi I (the son and heir of Tawana I) to move to Namanyana, which is pretty much present-day Toteng. Water levels fluctuate seasonally and over longer cycles, shaping Batawana settlement patterns in ways that southern Botswana tribes, with their more stable water sources, never experienced.

Kgosi Moremi I is particularly renowned for his victory against King Lobengula‘s (Mzilikazi’s son) Ndebele in his defence of Toteng at the famous Khitiyabasadi skirmish, which saw the defeat of over 2000 Ndebele warriors by a smally battalion of less than 100 Batawana, led by Moremi himself. This event, truely a masterclass in asymmetric warfare secured Batawana’s dominance in the region. The Battle of Khutiyabasadi established Batawana military reputation and secured their hold on Ngamiland.

It is worth noting that Moremi’s victory at Khutiyabasadi was not his alone, as he was working in alliance with the Wayeyi (Yei), who were at the time led by Qhunkunyane. Wayeyi had lived in this area longer than the Tawana, and had developed a culture concersant with the river life and wetlands of the Okavango. In fact, it is from the Yei name of the area that the word Maun was derived. In the Yei language, they called the area “maung”, which roughly translates to “the place of short river reeds”. Wayeyi, together with other native peoples of the area (the Hambukushu, Subiya, Banoka, and Ovaherero), are of non-Tswana ethnicities, and had been relatively safe from the harsh impacts of Difaqane/Mfecane further south. This made them less prepared to handle the Batawana’s military prowess, and they quickly claimed dominion over the entire area (which would later be referred to as the Tawana Reserve in the colonial era).

It was not until 1915 that Maun  became the capital for the Batawana people. By this time, the Bechuanaland Protectorate had been established, colonial administration was increasingly present, and the era of inter-tribal warfare was largely over.
The choice of Maun on the banks of the Thamalakane River represented strategic compromise. It was close enough to the delta’s resources but on firmer, higher ground that wouldn’t flood. It had access to both riverine and terrestrial resources. And unlike previous capitals, it proved stable enough to last.
The village had just 600 inhabitants in 1936 and grew slowly. For decades, Maun remained a frontier outpost where professional hunters came after months in the bush. Riley’s Hotel, established in this era, became legendary for its wild parties and hard-living clientele.

Today’s Maun bears little resemblance to that frontier village. The Nhabe Museum, housed in a building constructed by the British military in 1939, outlines the natural history and culture of the Okavango area. The Maun Game Reserve along the Thamalakane River preserves some of the original reed beds that gave the town its name.
Today Maun had a population of of about 50,000. The growth of tourism in the 1980s caused the population to boom, bringing shopping centers, hotels, banks, and modern infrastructure. The Maun International Airport, officially opened in 1996, now receives direct flights from Johannesburg and serves as the primary entry point for visitors to the Okavango Delta. Safari companies have their headquarters here, testament to Maun’s role as the jumping-off point for one of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness areas.
Indeed the melting pot of the north, Maun is a town, a village, and a wilderness tourism settlement all combined into one settlement; and although the seat of the Batawana Paramouncy, Maun is home to multiple ethnic groups including Hambukushu, Basubiya, Bayei, Banoka, Bakgalagadi, and Baherero.

Famous people from Maun include the Paramount Chief of Batawana, Kgosi Tawana II, who has also had a stint as a Member of Parliament for his people, and a Cabinet Minister in charge of traditional affairs. Lt General Louis Matshwenyego Fisher, who succeeded former President Ian Khama as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, athletes Amantle Montsho and Tshepiso Masalila (Olympic finalists in the Women’s 400m, and Men’s 800m respectively), and former Miss World Africa, Lesego Chombo (who is currently serving as a minister in Botswana’s Cabinet) add to the list of internationally acclaimed Maun natives.