If you see one monument in Botswana, make it this one. Three bronze figures, each 5.4 metres tall, stand on a granite plinth in the new Central Business District: Khama III of the Bangwato, Sebele I of the Bakwena and Bathoen I of the Bangwaketse. “Dikgosi” means chiefs or kings in Setswana.
In 1895 the three travelled to Britain to petition against the transfer of the Bechuanaland Protectorate to Cecil Rhodes’s British South Africa Company. They toured the country, won over church congregations and the press, and met the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain. Their territory stayed under direct British protection instead of going to Rhodes — the decision that, seventy years later, allowed Botswana to become independent as a single country in 1966. The monument was inaugurated on 29 September 2005, on the eve of Independence Day.
Top things to do: Three Dikgosi Monument & the CBD
Read the plinths
Six smaller plinths in front of the statues trace the country’s story from the first settlement of the area through the protectorate to independence. With a guide — a site guide is often on hand, and every city tour stops here — the monument takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
Walk the new CBD
The monument sits in the middle of Gaborone’s newest district, built since the 2000s on what was open ground between the old centre and the railway. The iTowers, the Masa Centre with its cinemas and restaurants, and the SADC headquarters are all within a few blocks.
Continue to Parliament and the Government Enclave
A short drive or a 15–20 minute walk east brings you to the National Assembly, with its white arches, the statue of Sir Seretse Khama, the country’s first president, and the war memorial. From there Main Mall runs east through the old centre.
Photograph it in the right light
The statues face roughly east, so morning light falls on their faces; in the late afternoon they are backlit against the towers of the CBD.
How to get to Three Dikgosi Monument & the CBD
- Location: in the Central Business District, near the High Court, about 2 km west of Main Mall.
- By taxi or on foot: any taxi or ride-hailing driver knows “Three Chiefs”. From hotels in the CBD (Hilton Garden Inn, Masa Square) it is a short walk.
- Opening: the site is fenced and generally open during the day, including weekends, with shorter hours on Sundays and holidays. Entry has usually been free; confirm locally.
Insider tips
- There is little shade — bring a hat, and avoid the middle of the day in summer.
- Ask before photographing security staff or nearby government buildings.
- Combine it with Parliament and Main Mall on foot in the cooler months, or let a city tour link them by car.
- On and around Independence Day (30 September) the area hosts official ceremonies and can be closed or crowded.
Best tours: Three Dikgosi Monument & the CBD
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Three Dikgosi Monument & the CBD:
Private city tour from €102 Gaborone: 3-Hour Historical City Tour
The most-reviewed tour in Gaborone and the best first morning in the city. A local guide drives you between the capital’s landmarks — the Three Dikgosi Monument, Parliament, Main Mall and the older neighbourhoods — explaining how a village by the Notwane River became the “diamond city” in sixty years, with a few traditional snacks to try on the way.
- Three Dikgosi Monument and the new CBD
- Parliament, the Government Enclave and Main Mall
- Tastes of local food along the way
Private city tour from €76 Gaborone: Private Historical City Tour
A longer, slower version of the city tour: six hours with a private guide, covering the Government Enclave, the Three Dikgosi Monument and the neighbourhoods in between, with stops to taste traditional food. At the listed starting price it is the cheapest way to have a guide to yourself for most of a day.
- Government Enclave and Three Dikgosi Monument
- Traditional food tasting and light snacks
- Private guide and vehicle
Full-day tour from €258 Around Gaborone Adventure
The full-day sampler: the Three Dikgosi Monument and the city in the morning, a game drive in Mokolodi Nature Reserve — the hilly private reserve south of town known for giraffe, zebra and white rhino — and a cruise to look for crocodiles. It is the most complete single day you can book in Gaborone.
- Game drive in Mokolodi Nature Reserve
- Three Dikgosi Monument and city highlights
- Boat cruise to look for crocodiles
City tour + food from €178 Gaborone: City Tour with Game Drive and Tswana Cuisine
Similar ground to the classic game-drive-and-city combination, with one important addition: a proper Tswana meal — typically seswaa (slow-cooked pounded beef) with bogobe or pap and morogo. A newer listing with only a handful of reviews so far, all of them excellent.
- National Museum area and the Three Chiefs monument
- Game drive in the Gaborone Game Reserve
- A traditional Tswana meal
