Travel Guide Ghanzi

Located west of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Ghanzi is considered the "capital of the Kalahari". The city, which for many will never be more than a stopover between Namibia and northern Botswana, is not without interest. You are here 275 km from Maun, 550 km from Windhoek on the Namibian side and 640 km from Gaborone. From a historical point of view, Ghanzi is at the centre of one of the oldest regions occupied by the San and also the Khoi, two bushmen entities. It was founded by the Hottentots who lived there from cattle breeding. In 1874, the first Afrikaners arrived: six families of white South Africans, led by Hendrik Van Zyl. Van Zyl was a thunderous poacher who terrorized the natives and led a life of opulence and luxury in the middle of this arid desert until he was mysteriously murdered. His reputation is still perpetuated by the stories told at the wakes of the San people. Little by little, other Boer pioneer families came to try their luck in Bechuanaland. They rented large tracts of land to establish large farms. This tradition has continued to the present day and more than 200 ranches, comprising 6% of the national livestock, are now located in the area. Today, Ghanzi is a well-supplied town of 13,000 people, which is becoming the tourist hub of the Kalahari. The centre does not have many attractions per se and the traveller's attention will be focused more on the lodges and ranches in the surrounding area.