A ground-breaking virtual reality (VR) experience charting nearly two centuries of Basotho history is set to give audiences a first-of-its-kind experience of the Kingdom of Lesotho’s story – not by reading about it, but by stepping inside it.
Kings of Lesotho – The Royal Succession Story is an immersive 360-degree VR experience that takes viewers on a cinematic journey through the history of the Basotho nation, from the founding of the kingdom by King Moshoeshoe I in 1824 to the reign of the current monarch, His Majesty King Letsie III, the ninth in the royal succession. This VR experience will be launched at the Royal Palace Banquet Hall in Maseru, Lesotho, on Thursday 17 September, with Their Majesties King Letsie III and members of the Royal Family, and invited guests. Thereafter, the experience will be open to the public to experience at the Alliance Française de Maseru (AFM), AFM Library, as well as through a series of free touring exhibitions at selected locations around the country.
Through 360-degree storytelling, spatial sound, archival references, traditional music, and historically inspired landscapes, the experience transports audiences into the living memory of Lesotho.
“The core of the story begins atop Thaba-Bosiu Mountain, where an historic village, the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I and the birthplace of the Basotho nation, is brought to life through everyday activities, oral storytelling, music, and historical narration. From there, audiences travel through significant royal sites and beautiful landscapes across Lesotho, including Menkhoaneng, Matsieng, Likhoele, Mokhotlong, Kome Caves, Katse Dam, ’Maletsunyane Falls, Makeneng, Phamong, and Makoanyane Square in Maseru. The journey introduces the life and contribution of each monarch in the royal succession while experiencing the country’s natural beauty and cultural identity.
Kings of Lesotho is created in collaboration between the Royal Archives, Museum and Information Centre, in collaboration with MP Multimedia Pty Ltd, a dynamic creative-media company based in Lesotho that specialises in advanced multimedia production, digital storytelling, immersive visual experiences, and innovative content creation, with the Royal Archives providing the historical archival material and MP Multimedia developing and producing the virtual reality experience.
“This project has given us the chance to place our nation’s history in front of audiences in a way that has never been possible before, using technology to honour our heritage rather than replace it,” says the artistic team’s Project Lead, Mokhethi Phohlo, of MP Multimedia Pty Ltd, “We hope every Mosotho who steps into this experience walks away with a deeper connection to where we come from.”
“The Royal Archives exists to safeguard the history and heritage of royalty and chieftainship in Lesotho for generations to come. Collaborating with MP Multimedia has allowed us to take those stories out from behind glass and archive boxes, and into a format that speaks to audiences today, while remaining grounded in the historical record. Importantly, the experience can also travel, allowing this history to reach people beyond the archive itself,” says Maneo Ralebitso, Project Lead, of the Royal Archives.
Kings of Lesotho is one of six immersive works developed through Futures_Past: Amplifying Memory with Immersive Technologies, an initiative of the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), in partnership with Electric South, with funding from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Futures_Past began in July 2025 and will run until March 2027 at venues in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. The project has brought together artist teams from the countries of six selected archives across South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, pairing each team with an archive to co-create an immersive digital work exploring the stories held within its collection. Together, the projects explore how immersive technologies can open new ways of encountering and sharing Southern African histories.
“Kings of Lesotho is a powerful example of what Futures_Past set out to achieve: giving archives new life through the hands of local artists and technologists. Seeing this project reach the point of a launch at the Royal Palace, with the King and Royal Household present, is a testament to what is possible when heritage institutions and creative industries work hand in hand,” says Jean Spiri, Director of IFAS.
Electric South, Ingrid Kopp says, “Working with this project has been a privilege. It shows how immersive technology, when approached with care, can deepen rather than dilute our relationship with history. Kings of Lesotho is not just about looking back at the royal succession; it is about giving audiences, particularly young Basotho, a new way to feel part of that story.”
Kings of Lesotho is the second of six Futures_Past exhibitions and immersive experiences opening across South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi between September and December 2026.
The Official Launch, by invitation only, takes place on Thursday, 17 September 2026, at the Royal Palace Banquet Hall, Maseru. The launch will mark the formal introduction of the completed immersive experience before it opens to the wider public.
The exhibition will be available free to the public from 23 September to 4 December 2026 at the Alliance Française de Maseru (AFM), AFM Library. In addition to the main exhibition at AFM, the project will also undertake a series of free touring exhibitions at selected locations around the country.
Follow the Royal Archives, Museum and Information Centre on Facebook and @_mpmultimedia on Instagram for upcoming touring dates and locations, and to find out where you can experience Kings of Lesotho – The Royal Succession Story.
For further information on Kings of Lesotho, view their website, and for the wider Futures_Past programme, visit https://www.futurespast.co.za/
