Can You Score 20/20? The Ultimate Botswana Screen Culture Trivia Quiz

Answers Below – No Peeking!

Think you know Botswana’s vibrant screen culture? From Kalahari-shot classics to Gaborone-based detective tales, this quiz dives into films and TV tied to the nation, with questions ranging from easy warm-ups to true superfan challenges!

20 Trivia Questions on Botswana Screen Culture

Question 1: In which year was The Gods Must Be Crazy released?

A. 1974
B. 1984
C. 1980
D. 1990

Question 2: Who directed The Gods Must Be Crazy?

A. John Rambo
B. Wes Craven
C. Jamie Uys
D. Tobe Hooper

Question 3: What object falls from the sky and causes chaos for the Bushmen in The Gods Must Be Crazy?

A. A wristwatch
B. A cassette player
C. A Coke bottle
D. A pair of glasses

Question 4: Which actor plays the lead Bushman character Xi in The Gods Must Be Crazy?

A. Danny Glover
B. Nǃxau ǂToma
C. Morgan Freeman
D. Sidney Poitier

Question 5: The Gods Must Be Crazy was primarily filmed in which part of Botswana?

A. Okavango Delta
B. Chobe National Park
C. Kalahari Desert
D. Tsodilo Hills

Question 6: Who stars as Precious Ramotswe in the TV series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency?

A. Taraji P. Henson
B. Lupita Nyong’o
C. Viola Davis
D. Jill Scott

Question 7: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency TV series is adapted from books by which author?

A. Nadine Gordimer
B. Wilbur Smith
C. Alexander McCall Smith
D. J.M. Coetzee

Question 8: In The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, the detective agency is based in which Botswana city?

A. Maun
B. Francistown
C. Kasane
D. Gaborone

Question 9: Who plays Mma Grace Makutsi, Precious Ramotswe’s assistant, in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency?

A. Anika Noni Rose
B. Gugu Mbatha-Raw
C. Thandiwe Newton
D. Letitia Wright

Question 10: Which actor portrays JLB Matekoni in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency?

A. Djimon Hounsou
B. Nonso Anozie
C. Lucian Msamati
D. Idris Elba

Question 11: Who directed the pilot episode of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency?

A. Richard Curtis
B. Mike Newell
C. Anthony Minghella
D. Stephen Frears

Question 12: In A United Kingdom, who plays Seretse Khama, Botswana’s first president?

A. Chiwetel Ejiofor
B. Forest Whitaker
C. David Oyelowo
D. John Kani

Question 13: Rosamund Pike plays which real-life figure opposite David Oyelowo in A United Kingdom?

A. Seretse Khama’s sister
B. Ruth Williams
C. His mother
D. A tribal elder

Question 14: Who directed the 2016 film A United Kingdom?

A. Dee Rees
B. Gina Prince-Bythewood
C. Steve McQueen
D. Amma Asante

Question 15: In what year did Children of Wax, Botswana’s first Motswana-produced feature film, premiere?

A. 2005
B. 2010
C. 2008
D. 2012

Question 16: Who wrote, produced, and directed Children of Wax (also known as Lefatshe la Morumo)?

A. Benjamin Lebuso
B. Neo Masisi
C. Moreri Sepato
D. Onthatile Ditsele

Question 17: The Gods Must Be Crazy was produced in which country, despite being filmed in Botswana?

A. Namibia
B. United States
C. South Africa
D. Zimbabwe

Question 18: In what year was the sequel The Gods Must Be Crazy II, also filmed in Botswana, released?

A. 1985
B. 1992
C. 1989
D. 1982

Question 19: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency TV series was a co-production between which broadcasters?

A. Netflix and BBC
B. HBO and BBC
C. Showtime and Sundance
D. AMC and Starz

Question 20: A United Kingdom dramatises the love story of Seretse Khama and whom, leading to Botswana’s path to independence?

A. Winnie Mandela
B. Ruth Williams
C. Adelaide Tambo
D. Albertina Sisulu

Answers

  1. C. 1980 – The Gods Must Be Crazy premiered in 1980 as a South African comedy adventure filmed in Botswana. The other dates do not match its release.
  2. C. Jamie Uys – South African filmmaker Jamie Uys directed the film. The others are horror directors unrelated to it.
  3. C. A Coke bottle – The empty Coke bottle is seen as an evil god by the San people in the Kalahari. Other items do not feature in the plot.
  4. B. Nǃxau ǂToma – Nǃxau ǂToma, a Namibian San performer, stars as Xi in his acting debut. The others are unrelated actors.
  5. C. Kalahari Desert – The film’s stunning visuals were captured in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert. The other locations are also Botswanan but not primary sites.
  6. D. Jill Scott – American singer-actress Jill Scott embodies Precious Ramotswe. The others are acclaimed actresses but not in this role.
  7. C. Alexander McCall Smith – Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith created the bestselling series set in Botswana. The others are South African writers.
  8. D. Gaborone – The agency operates in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. The other cities are also Botswanan but not the setting.
  9. A. Anika Noni Rose – Anika Noni Rose plays the ambitious assistant Mma Makutsi. The others have no connection to the series.
  10. C. Lucian Msamati – British-Tanzanian actor Lucian Msamati plays the kind-hearted mechanic JLB Matekoni. Others are different performers.
  11. C. Anthony Minghella – Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella directed the 2008 pilot before his passing. The others are British directors without involvement.
  12. C. David Oyelowo – David Oyelowo portrays Seretse Khama in the biopic. The other actors are African cinema stars but not in this role.
  13. B. Ruth Williams – Rosamund Pike plays Seretse’s British wife Ruth Williams Khama. The other roles are filled by different characters.
  14. D. Amma Asante – British-Ghanaian director Amma Asante helmed the film. The others direct other notable films.
  15. C. 2008 – Children of Wax premiered in 2008 as a milestone Setswana-language feature. Other years do not align.
  16. C. Moreri Sepato – Moreri Sepato became the first Motswana woman to write, produce, and direct a feature film. The others are involved in Botswana media but not this one.
  17. C. South Africa – Produced by South Africa’s Jamie Uys, it was shot in Botswana. The other countries lack production ties.
  18. C. 1989 – The sequel arrived in 1989, continuing the Kalahari adventures. Other dates mismatch.
  19. B. HBO and BBC – The 2008-2009 series was co-produced by HBO and BBC. Other pairings are incorrect.
  20. B. Ruth Williams – The film depicts Seretse Khama’s marriage to Ruth Williams, sparking political events toward Botswana’s 1966 independence. The others are South African anti-apartheid figures.

How did you score? Drop your results in the comments below and challenge friends to conquer Botswana screen culture trivia!