Kgale Hill (Setswana for "The Place that Dried Up"[2]) is a hill located in Gaborone, Botswana. Nicknamed "The Sleeping Giant", Kgale Hill reaches a summit elevation of 1,287 metres (4,222 ft) above sea level.[1] The hill used to be home to a television repeater and is now a tourist destination.[3]
| Kgale Hill | |
|---|---|
| The Sleeping Giant | |
 View from the top overlooking Gaborone from the southeast in June 2011 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,287 m (4,222 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 24°41′45″S 25°52′04″E / 24.6957°S 25.8678°E |
| Geography | |
  Kgale Hill Location in Botswana | |
| Location | South-East District, Botswana |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | hike |
Climbing and recreation
editHikers have a choice of three trails to climb to the peak.[1] During the one-hour walk to the top, hikers can usually see troops of baboons.[2]
The hill is the site of the PPC King of the Hill race, a collaboration between PPC Botswana and the Gaborone Runners Club. The 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) race begins at the PPC Botswana office, travels past Game City Mall, winds around the Kgale Quarry, climbs up the hill, and goes back to the PPC Botswana office.[4]
Cultural references
editFilming for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency took place at the foot of Kgale Hill, giving rise to the nickname "Kgalewood" for the set. The show's producers signed a ten-year lease for the area, and the Botswana government has invested US$5 million in the TV show in order to develop the set for tourism.[5]
Gallery
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References
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- ^ a b c Karlin, Adam; Firestone, Matthew D. (5 February 2010). Botswana & Namibia. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781741049220.
- ^ a b "Gaborone in details..." Botswana Tourism Organisation. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Denbow, James Raymond; Thebe, Phenyo C. (2006). "Literature and Media". Culture and customs of Botswana. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-313-33178-7. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "King of the Hill Reign up for Grabs". PPC Botswana. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Wines, Michael (23 September 2007). "The No. 1 Botswana Movie Shoot". The New York Times. Gaborone. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2012.