Along the rims and scattered across countless islands of the Makgadikgadi salt pans – a place so vast it’s visible from space – stand the oldest living beings in Africa: the baobab trees. Known locally as mowanas, these iconic giants rise as prominent landmarks against the sprawling horizon. As a keystone species of the African savanna, these extraordinary succulents, Adansonia digitata, can reach an astonishing age of over 1,400 years. Their exceptional longevity and resilience continue to baffle scientists up to this day.

The Makgadikgadi salt flats are perpetually shaped and battered by the elements. In a matter of months, the vibrant and green landscape of the wet season, teeming with life, undergoes a dramatic change and transforms into an arid and dusty expanse. As the environmental conditions shift, the baobabs stand unwavering. It is now, during their winter dormancy, that these trees with their barren branches reveal their true sculptural beauty – each baobab is a unique masterpiece, shaped by centuries of survival in one of Earth’s most unforgiving environments.

However, the baobab or mowana is much more than just a tree – it’s a thriving ecosystem. Its gnarled trunk, with its myriad grooves, hollows, and niches, along with its sprawling branches and extensive root system, provides a sanctuary to a diverse array of life. Birds, small mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians find such bountiful food and shelter that the baobab was coined “a forest unto itself.”

During the scorching five-month-long dry season, the baobab unveils one of its most precious gifts – pools of vital shade. In the heat of the day, one can observe an extraordinary meeting of two colossal beings of the African bush: the rooted giant, with its massive stem and expansive canopy, creates a cool respite for the wandering giant of the pan – the elephant. Like their congregations at water holes, these nomadic behemoths – primarily bull elephants – converge beneath the baobab’s generous canopy. Yet here, in the dappled shade, their gatherings take on a more intimate and tranquil air. They rest their massive heads and heavy limbs on trunk or roots, and then, after seemingly exchanging gossip, wander off again into the vast mopane forests.

But that’s not all the baobab has to offer during the hardest times of the year. The flowers that were pollinated during the wet months have grown into hard, ripe fruits that now fall to the ground. This nutritious and versatile food source is cherished by local communities, bridging the gap between sustenance and survival.

This film not only chronicles the life thriving around the baobabs but also delves into the rich, yet little-known human history of the region. Evidence of early hunter-gatherers and later pastoralists has been documented along the ancient lake that dried out over millennia, now forming today’s salt flats. These ancient inhabitants likely utilized the baobab’s diverse resources in ways similar to how modern-day Botswanans continue to benefit from this iconic African tree, illustrating a timeless bond between humans and nature.

In essence, this TV production documents and explores the captivating story of the baobabs in the Makgadikgadi salt pans, where the lives of animals and people intertwine with these enduring giants of Botswana’s dusty wetlands.