South Africa Guide
Free State
Basotho Cultural Village
The Basotho Cultural Village (Mon– Fri 8am–4pm, Sat & Sun 8.30am–4.30pm; entrance and half-hour guided tour R20; 
058 721 0300, 
basotho@sac.fs.gov.za) is 20km east of Golden Gate National Park and signposted from the main road, in the QwaQwa Nature Park. It offers a sanitized view of the traditional lives of the Basotho people, who have lived in the vicinity for centuries and have a close affinity to the people living just across the border in Lesotho. The main display in the village is a courtyard of beautiful Basotho huts, from organic circular sixteenth-century constructions to square huts with tin roofs and bright interior decor. In the courtyard are people in traditional dress; visitors get to meet the chief and sample traditional beer, hear musicians play and see a traditional healer. Also interesting is the litema, or external decoration on houses, put on by women and still visible in rural Basotho settlements. The decoration varies from repeat patterns scratched into the mud-coloured plasterwork to vivid, modern motifs.
The views across the QwaQwa Nature Park are awesome, and this is a great place to visit, with an endless choice of walks. A curio shop sells some quality local crafts (look out for raffia mats and baskets and the conical hats unique to this area), and an open-air tea garden serves teas and traditional food.