Lucky Charms of Botswana

Botswana's Tswana and Kalanga peoples have traditions of ancestral veneration and traditional healers (dingaka) who diagnose and treat misfortune with specific protective objects and rituals. The mokgosi (community gathering tree) — often a large shade tree at the village center — is considered a place of communal protection where elders' blessings concentrate.

Christianity is dominant and rosary beads, crosses, and church-blessed objects are the most common protective items. San (Bushmen) communities in the Kalahari maintain ancient traditions of trance healing in which the n/om (spiritual energy) is activated to provide protection and healing for the community. Ostrich eggshell beads, one of the oldest forms of personal ornamentation in human history, are used by the San as both jewelry and lucky charms.