Wilderness is honoured to support professional guide Kane Motswana’s The Journey and the Legacy, an expedition retracing the route his father travelled through northern Botswana in 1975. The journey documents a family history rooted in the Linyanti and Selinda landscapes and contributes to the preservation of cultural knowledge for future generations.
On returning from Zambia to Botswana, Kane’s father travelled alone along the Linyanti River to Zibarianja, followed the Selinda Spillway to Xhoroxhomo, where he reunited with his sister, and continued to Gudigwa, where he met Kane’s mother. More than 50 years later, Kane is retracing that route with his nephew, his father’s grandson. Presenter Casey Anderson and a film crew have documented the expedition, capturing the family history, cultural heritage and landscapes that gave the journey its significance.
Kane brings more than 20 years of professional guiding experience across diverse terrains, including walking safaris, vehicle-based expeditions and boating excursions. Yet he describes this expedition as his most significant undertaking: an opportunity to honour his father, who died in 1994 when Kane was 14 and whose memory remains a source of spiritual guidance, ancestral connection and protection. His father travelled the route carrying only a spear and sleeping beside open fires. Kane carried a rifle and using a pop-up tent, reflecting contemporary conditions and expedition requirements, while maintaining the spiritual connection at the heart of the journey.
The expedition connects generations while preserving and honouring his family’s Ba Khwee and Khoisan heritage. Reflecting on the journey, Kane said: “The journey was absolutely amazing. From crossing into the Selinda concession and then following the Selinda spillway en route to Gudigwa. Our night at Zibarianja was also unforgettable, with 25 lions coming to our camp. This will be an incredible journey for the audience to watch. My father travelled through this very area in 1975.”
Wilderness recognises the importance of supporting stories that connect people, heritage and the landscapes in which it operates. In this spirit, Wilderness Botswana Board Chairman, Kabelo Binns, joined Kane for one day of the walk on 30 September 2026, accompanied by his son, reflecting the expedition’s emphasis on family legacy and connections across generations. “Kane’s expedition speaks to the depth of history held in these landscapes and the responsibility we share to listen to and preserve those stories,” said Binns. “Walking alongside him with my son on Botswana’s 60th Independence Day was a privilege. It brought home the importance of what we pass from one generation to the next, and we at Wilderness are honoured to support Kane in bringing his vision to life.”
The expedition began in the Linyanti area, where Wilderness Botswana has 4 camps, being DumaTau, King’s Pool, Savuti and Lenyanti Tented Camp, on 29 September 2026. It then continued through Selinda towards Gudigwa and ended on 11 October 2026.
During this journey, on 30 September 2026, Kane made time to pause and make a contribution of P10,000 to Children in the Wilderness (CITW), to support its work to strengthen young people’s connection to the natural world through environmental education and Eco Clubs for primary school learners. He commended the programme and bore testament that several of his family members as well as fellow community members from the Okavango Community Trust villages, of which he is a member, have gone through the programme. This, he notes, helped shape their professional careers in the tourism industry.
For over two decades, CITW has been investing in Botswana’s children and their teachers through environmental education, leadership development, life skills training, and conservation awareness. Since its establishment in Botswana in 2001, CITW has worked with schools and communities across the Okavango Delta, Ngamiland, Chobe, Southeast and beyond, reaching thousands of children through Eco-Clubs, annual camps and educational support initiatives. On an annual basis, the business supports a total number of students ranging from 200 to 300 across 8 primary schools in Seronga, Gunotsoga, Eretsha, Beetsha, Gudigwa, Sankoyo, Shorobe and Shashe Primary School in Maun
Wilderness Botswana and CITW are truly grateful for Kane’s contribution and confidence in the CITW programme.
