A visit to the Basotho Cultural Village is a chance to experience a way of life that integrates comfort and practicality with a unique aesthetic.  

‘Basotho’ is the word in the Sesotho language meaning ‘the Sotho people’, and you can discover authentic Sotho hospitality, aesthetics and tradition at this Free State cultural village, set amid the splendor of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in Free State province.

The village offers a unique South African experience in which you can learn about traditional Sotho arts and crafts and their way of life.

The site comprises a rest camp resembling an 18th-century Sotho village along with replica homesteads spanning from the 16th century to the present day, all of which exhibit exemplary mural art from the Sotho culture, known as litema.

The replica homesteads do more than document the evolution of Sotho culture; moreover, visitors are also invited to taste the local beer, brewed on site. In addition, they can share local food, enjoy traditional dances, meet village elders, and learn how local arts and crafts are produced.”

Many items produced within the village and sourced from the wider Free State province are available for purchase at the Basotho Cultural Village, including pottery, fabrics, beadwork, and traditional grass hats, mats, and baskets. These products are created by skilled crafters from traditional Sotho villages who utilize local materials and techniques, and you have the option to either visit these crafters in their home-based workshops or conveniently acquire their creations at the Basotho Cultural Village.

Among the items on sale at the village are cushion covers, tablecloths, and clothing made from shweshwe textiles by the women of the Ahanang Basotho Project. Additionally, the Bolata Pottery Project makes and sells traditional pots and dishes from local clay. Moreover, the Letweneng Grass Project makes grass bags, floor mats, and baskets using traditional weaving techniques.

Lesedi Arts and Crafts creates and sells beaded cutlery, bags and ties, and the Thaba-Bosiu Project makes large traditional storage baskets (called disiu and originally used to store grain), as well as beer strainers.

You will also find iconic, conical Sotho hats, called mokorotlo, on sale at the village. They are used to keep the sun at bay as well as for cultural festivals. Additionally, look out for traditional Sotho blankets. Their designs and colors are significant, and blankets are worn in different ways for different ritual purposes.