Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About Malawian Culture

By far, the most popular game in Malawi is bao. Bao, also spelled “bawo,” is one variant of the classic African pit-and-pebble game where opponents move pebbles through various holes on a board in an effort to capture their opponent’s pebbles. (Other variants go by the names “mankala,” “oware,” and “ coro.”) Two version of the game are prevalent in Malawi, both using four rows of holes—two per opponent. The versions differ in the starting set-up of the pebbles, and the way pebbles are removed from the board. It is not unusual to see a game last for several hours, or even a day or two—bao, played by master players, easily deserves the appellation “African chess.” To learn how to play bao, and to try your own hand at the game, visit www.bawo.org.