Nkashi: Race for the Okavango – story of people who conserve Africa's biggest inland delta

If you are a Kenyan who enjoys wildlife documentaries, you have probably watched some filmed in the Okavango Delta, a wetland and marshy oasis in Botswana.

Like Kenya, Botswana is a wildlife paradise that boasts millions of animals including more than 130,000 elephants, the biggest herd in any country.

Most of these animals call the Okavango Delta their home.

Okavango is an inland delta. It is different from other deltas, such as the Tana Delta in Kenya, which are places where rivers empty into an ocean or lake.

The Okavango River (bigger than the Tana River), and several other rivers dump all their water into this dry plain, hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest coast. This transforms the delta from a bone-dry landscape into a lush marshland full of animals and people.

The stories of these animals have been told countless times, but the story of the people who live there – and conserve the delta – has hardly been told before.

Recently, the locals, in conjunction with the National Geographic Society (NGS) and the diamond mining company De Beers, told their story to the world in a major film that premiered in Gaborone last month.

 The ground-breaking documentary film Nkashi: Race for the Okavango was made in collaboration with Batswana filmmakers through their native Setswana language.

It is a story of conservation to keep future generations aware of the importance of the Okavango basin, which is maintained through the local tools of a pole (Nkashi) and a canoe (Mokoro) both used to navigate through the basin on their normal errands beside the annual competition.

"A canoe (Mokoro) and a pole (Nkashi) have been my way of life. It is all I live for since I was introduced by my late father," says Gabonamang Kgetho ‘GB’.

Gabonamang is a local champion who has maintained his desire to keep the tradition of Nkashi and Mokoro which, to him, are more than just tools but Okavango delta conservation tools.

"I feel so strong to see our culture being appreciated on the international stage through this documentary," he added during a recent screening in Gaborone.

Nkashi: Race for the Okavango identified the annual Nkashi classic race as an instrument to bring to life the tourist attraction, conservation agenda as well as showcase the sense of the existence of people along the delta.

Nkashi Classic is a competition held each year to determine who is the fastest poler, an event which also brings together communities from all over the country.

According to a study from team Africa Geographic in 2020 the Okavango delta contributed 13 per cent of Botswana's GDP, making it a crucial tourist site.

It is home to the world's remaining largest population of elephants, Lions, Cheetahs, wild dogs and hundreds of species of birds.

One of the most interesting phenomena of the Delta is the seasonal flooding that swells the plains to nearly twice their original size.

This bulges the plains from around 3,100 square kilometres (size of Nairobi and Kiambu counties combined) to around 7,700 square kilometres (slightly larger than the size of Western Province) – making it the largest freshwater marsh ecosystem in the world.

The flooding from the Okavango River occurs from January to February, during Botswana’s dry season, bringing much-needed water to people and animals.

Thato Kavinja, a popular musician in Botswana, says the relationship between the people who live along the delta and wild animals gives a sense of pride which encourage the idea of conserving the delta.

"I happened to sail through the delta on my way home in the company of my family with my father poling the Mokoro and I was amazed by how he was able to navigate through crocodiles, hippos and other animals. Both people and animals have adapted their way of behaving and seeing such a story being told to the rest of the world feels special for me," he said.

The documentary would easily resonate with Kenyans, who can also pay more attention to the Tana Delta, which also offers an immense contribution to supporting nature.

Tana Delta supports many threatened species of animals and plants and more than 100,000 people practising agriculture, pastoralism and fishing.

The role of women in the conservation mission is not underestimated as the people of Botswana give then an equal chance.

According to Sarah Joseph, the documentary's director of impact strategy, women have an obligation to use their privilege and have their headwaters conservation voice heard.

"Through a story of conservation hope comes through and my hope is that the documentary resonates with the global audience," she said.

This comes as the world tilts towards advocating for wetlands, forests and the natural world phenomena that contribute to the mitigation of climate change.

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