Roofing in Botswana

Botswana is a dry, largely flat country dominated by the Kalahari. Its traditional houses belong to the Tswana building tradition: houses with clay-plastered walls, a conical thatched roof and often a verandah carried on posts. Modern housing uses sheet metal, asbestos-cement and concrete tiles.

Climate and hazards

The climate is semi-arid with hot summers, when most rain falls in storms.

Roofing history

Census questionnaires since at least 1991 have recorded the roof material of each dwelling under concrete, slabs, blocks or tiles; asbestos; iron, zinc or tin; thatch; and other, showing that these were already the main materials by the late 20th century.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

The architectural historian Franco Frescura recorded a detailed Setswana building vocabulary:

• Roof: moteko is the thatched roof covering, setlhowa the apex of a conical roof, maribele the eaves overhang, tlhomeso a timber rafter and palelo a batten.
• Structure: mophako is a roof timber spanning between verandah posts and acting as a ring beam; lomapo a dowel at a beam end that seats it on the ring beam; pinagare a centre post carrying the thatcher's weight, normally cut away after the roof is finished but kept in many larger houses.
• Walls and verandah: lobota is the perimeter wall, plastered with clay and dung (gobatega); mokatako a small raised verandah or verandah seat; lotwana a post supporting the verandah or eaves.

These terms are Setswana and apply across the Tswana-speaking area of Botswana and South Africa.

Roofing today

Census categories (iron, zinc or tin; asbestos; concrete tiles; thatch) indicate the range of materials in use.

Local roofing terms

• moteko: thatched roof covering.
• setlhowa: apex of a conical roof.
• maribele: eaves.
• pinagare: temporary centre post used in thatching.
• gobatega: clay and dung wall plaster.

Sources and gaps

Detailed archaeological evidence for early roofs: published information is limited. No roof-specific heritage listings were identified.

Recent census roof shares (2011, 2022), Kalahari San shelter forms and information on Botswana building regulations and manufacturers: published information is limited.