For local restaurant Planet Culture Café, a meal is only the beginning of the experience. Every dish serves as a gateway to conversations about preserving Botswana’s cultural heritage through cuisine, creating an immersive dining experience that celebrates traditional flavours, supports local artisans, and generates economic opportunities for surrounding communities.
Speaking during an interview, Planet Culture Café founder Ompatile Molefhe described the establishment as far more than a restaurant.
“Planet Culture is our home,” he said. “It is our home as communities, our home as tourists, and a place where we exchange our culture with people from across the diaspora.”
His ambition is to develop the business into a fully-fledged cultural village where visitors experience Botswana through food, storytelling, art, music, and traditional craftsmanship rather than simply dining out.
“We want people to come not just for the food but for the cultural experience that we give,” he explained.
At the heart of his vision is the belief that Botswana has yet to fully harness the economic potential of its cultural heritage.
“I always say that we need to commercialise culture,” Molefhe said. “Culture has no limit. There will always be food, music, poetry, arts, crafts, and beverages. It keeps evolving as we appreciate the different tribes in Botswana.”
He believes culture presents endless opportunities for entrepreneurship while preserving traditions that risk being forgotten. Although the project is still developing, Molefhe admits they are effectively “building the ship while sailing it,” gradually expanding the experience as resources become available.
“Our potential is much bigger than where we are now,” he said. “If we had the resources to do everything we want, this place would be on a completely different level.”
That philosophy extends beyond the menu. Much of the café’s furniture has been handcrafted using locally sourced materials, including stools and chairs made from recycled wooden pallets and tree stumps, while several tables have been fashioned from polished Mophane tree trunks, giving the dining area an authentic rustic atmosphere. Decorative pieces and crafts are supplied by local artisans, while most of the café’s ingredients and supplies are sourced from local vendors whenever possible.
“We get everything from local suppliers,” Molefhe explained, adding that the business also embraces recycling by repurposing materials into furniture and décor.
The restaurant itself specialises in authentic Setswana cuisine, serving dishes such as Segwapa, goat ribs, oxtail, mokoto, dikgopo, mogodu, and thako, accompanied by traditional starches including madombi, phaleche, korong, and mabele. Among the customer favourites is Segwapa served with Korong or Phaleche, a combination of finely ground dried meat paired with ground millet or maize meal that delivers earthy, natural flavours representative of Botswana’s culinary heritage.
Beyond the dining area, Planet Culture Café offers visitors an art corner where guests can participate in painting sessions or admire works created by local artists. Outside, a traditional-style kgotla and fireplace provide space for storytelling evenings, live performances, and community gatherings, reinforcing the café’s identity as a cultural destination rather than simply a place to eat.
Looking ahead, Molefhe has ambitious plans to transform the property into a complete cultural village. His vision includes a miniature museum displaying artefacts representing every tribe and minority community in Botswana, giving visitors and school groups an introduction to the country’s cultural diversity.
“We want a child or a tourist to understand what Botswana is through its different tribes,” he said.
The proposed expansion also includes a traditional food processing area where visitors can observe and participate in preparing maize meal, sorghum, and other indigenous grains using traditional methods before enjoying organic meals prepared on site. Molefhe also hopes to establish a traditional brewhouse constructed using clay and cow dung, reflecting Botswana’s indigenous architecture.
Once complete, tourists would pay for a guided cultural experience that takes them through each section of the village, allowing them to participate in activities such as food preparation, traditional cooking, and brewing demonstrations.
“We’ve already had visitors who wanted to help prepare food,” Molefhe said. “We want the experience to be participatory.”
As Botswana continues to explore ways of diversifying its tourism industry beyond wildlife, Planet Culture Café offers a unique model of food tourism rooted in authentic cultural experiences. During a visit to the establishment, it became clear that every meal, handcrafted table, artwork, and fireside gathering contributes to a broader story of Botswana’s identity.
For Molefhe, preserving culture is about allowing visitors to taste it, create it, hear it, and become part of it, ensuring that Botswana’s traditions continue to thrive while generating opportunities for local communities.
