Africa-Press – Botswana. Nkashi Classic has been commended for promoting tourism that recognises and benefit people living around natural resources.
The observation was made by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng at the Nkashi Classic 2023 that was held in Maun on Saturday.
Ms Kereng noted that the mokoro race that crowned the fastest polers in the Okavango Delta was a combination of sports, culture and conservation tourism. “Nkashi is a race for the Okavango Delta where the participants celebrate how the communities through their culture preserve the Delta to be an iconic piece of landscape that Botswana is selling as a main tourism product,” she said.
Ms Kereng said the race motivated participants who were from rural communities to keep preserving the Delta while earning something through the prize money.
She noted that such events were important for diversification of the tourism product that Botswana offered and provided recreation for attendants.
As such, she said her Ministry through Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) partnered with such events.
Meanwhile, the main race of male category was won by Mr Lasty Kedisa of Boro who won P40 000 prize money in the male category.
Other categories included female and male veterans’ category, female category, double race category which was newly introduced this year.
The race, organised by Wild Bird Trust and supported by National Geographic and De Beers started in 2018 and it promoted the importance of the Okavango River system through a canoe or mokoro race to crown the fastest polers in the Okavango Delta.Mokoro polers from villages around the Delta such as Seronga, Jao, Boro and Etsha 13 contested this year.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
