Outside views · Africa
4 Best Movies Set in or About Botswana
Compare how outside filmmakers have used Botswana as a sustained setting or subject.
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Runtime, mood, and entry level help narrow the list without replacing the editorial ranking.
| Film | Runtime | Genre | Mood | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gods Must Be Crazy | Not verified | |||
| Into the Okavango | Not verified | |||
| A United Kingdom | Not verified | |||
| N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman | Not verified |
4 Movies Set in or About Botswana
Foreign-led films whose sustained setting or subject remains centered on Botswana.
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1. The Gods Must Be Crazy
When a Coca-Cola bottle falls from a passing plane into the Kalahari, a Bushman who has never seen such a thing sets out to return the strange object to the gods, his gentle odyssey crossing paths with bumbling scientists and revolutionaries. A beloved slapstick comedy.
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2. Into the Okavango
This National Geographic documentary follows a team of explorers on a grueling months-long expedition tracing the rivers that feed Botswana's Okavango Delta, from the highlands of Angola into the heart of one of Africa's great wildernesses, in a bid to protect it.
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3. A United Kingdom
Based on a true story, the heir to the throne of what is now Botswana falls in love with a white London clerk in the late 1940s, and their marriage ignites a political firestorm across Britain, the empire, and southern Africa. A stirring historical romance.
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4. N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman
Spanning decades, this landmark documentary tells the life story of N!ai, a Ju/'hoan woman of the Kalahari, and through her the wrenching transformation of her people from a life on the land to the margins of a changing world.
Hear the country first
1 Best Movies from Botswana to Watch First
Start with films made from within Botswana, then follow the country's own creative voice through the complete ranking.
- Ngaka 1976
Selected by the FilmsAroundThe.World editorial desk
Selections require an outside creative lead and a story or subject substantially centered on Botswana. Decision labels are concise editorial aids, and content notes are non-exhaustive. Read the methodology.
Editorial review: 2026-07-14
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