Kgalagadi

Tsabong, also spelled Tshabong, is the administrative centre of Botswana's Kgalagadi District, a remote settlement in the southern Kalahari Desert near the borders with South Africa and Namibia. The town serves as the region's main supply, government and service hub, despite its modest size.

The town's identity is tied to the harsh Kalahari landscape, with camelthorn trees, red dune country and vast open plains. Tsabong lies near one of the world's largest kimberlite fields, and diamond exploration has long been part of the local economy alongside cattle farming and public administration.

Visitors use Tsabong as a staging point for the wider Kgalagadi region and, further afield, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Local sights include the Tsabong Camel Park, while the town itself offers shops, fuel, guesthouses, a hospital and schools that support a thinly populated district.

Travel here is mostly self-drive, and a well-prepared 4x4 is strongly advised because distances are long and services are spread out. The town is also known for temperature extremes, having recorded some of Botswana's coldest temperatures.

For both leisure and business travellers, Tsabong works as a practical Kalahari base: it provides essential services, access to surrounding desert landscapes and a starting point for exploring one of southern Africa's emptiest regions.