Bonto Matene – village in the southeastern part of Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi province
Bonto Matene is a small Indonesian village (desa) that belongs to the Kecamatan Rilauale administrative district, located in Bulukumba Regency, Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi) province. Geographically it is situated in the southeastern part of the island of Celebes, with approximate coordinates of -5.39° latitude and 120.12° longitude. Bulukumba Regency itself is located in the southeastern corner of South Sulawesi, with its capital at Ujung Bulu. The available source material covers exclusively the regency level, so village-specific data are limited, and the following description relies where necessary on the characteristics of the broader administrative unit, Bulukumba Regency, which is clearly indicated in every case.
General overview
Bonto Matene is not considered a known or tourism-emphasized location either regionally or internationally; as a small South Sulawesi village, it has primarily local significance. The settlement operates within the administrative district framework of Kecamatan Rilauale. In broader context, Bulukumba Regency has a total area of 1,175.53 km² and, according to 2020 census data, had a population of 437,607 people; by mid-2022, the official estimate put its population at 471,688 residents — of which 230,557 were male and 241,131 female. The regency is one of the most densely populated and culturally active areas in the southeastern part of Celebes. Bonto Matene itself is situated in the interior rural areas of the regency, and undoubtedly agriculture — rice cultivation, gardening — and livestock farming provide the basis for local livelihoods, which is characteristic of villages belonging to the Kecamatan Rilauale district in this region. Specific, village-level demographic or economic data are not available.
Real estate and investment
No published, village-specific data are available regarding Bonto Matene's real estate market. At the broader Bulukumba Regency level, it can be noted that the area is one of South Sulawesi's growing population regions — the nearly eight percent population growth between 2010 and 2022 indicates sustained local demand. In rural, agricultural areas, real estate prices are generally considerably lower than in Makassar or larger cities in South Sulawesi, although liquidity and infrastructure development are also more modest. In Indonesia, foreign nationals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) over property; for them, the so-called Hak Pakai (usage rights) or long-term rental arrangements are available, these being valid legal frameworks throughout the country. From an investment perspective, such small-village rural areas are typically evaluated in terms of long-term agricultural use or the local residential real estate market, rather than as target areas for tourism-oriented investments — however, the available source material does not provide local development data on the latter point.
Safety and security
No verifiable statistics are available regarding Bonto Matene's public safety situation, either at the local or district level. In general terms, it can be said that rural settlements in South Sulawesi province — including small villages in Bulukumba Regency — are typically quieter and characterized by lower crime rates compared to major cities, a phenomenon generally observed in such areas based on regional experience. Public security for the province as a whole is fundamentally provided by local units of the Indonesian national police (Polri). The available source material contains no specific criminal data for Bonto Matene or any particular security risks, therefore no such determination can be made.
Tourist attractions
The available source material does not mention any identified tourist attractions in Bonto Matene. Bulukumba Regency as a whole, however, is one of South Sulawesi's touristically notable regions: in and around the regency's capital, Ujung Bulu, and surrounding districts, numerous widely recognized natural and cultural assets are found. The Bulukumba regency became particularly well-known within Indonesia for the white sandy beaches of the Bira peninsula and the shipbuilding culture associated with traditional wooden sailing vessels called pinisi — this tradition is primarily linked to the Kecamatan Bonto Bahari area. Bonto Matene itself belongs to the Kecamatan Rilauale district, and from this interior, rural part of the regency, the coastal and cultural attractions are accessible, though their distance and accessibility depend on local transportation infrastructure. The source material does not mention tourism specifically aimed at visiting the village, nor does it identify any particular local landmarks.
Summary
Bonto Matene is a small, rural-character village in South Sulawesi in the Kecamatan Rilauale district, located in Bulukumba Regency. With a population of nearly 438,000 according to 2020 data, the regency is one of the more vibrant regions of South Sulawesi, though Bonto Matene itself does not possess an independently documented tourism or real estate market profile in publicly accessible sources. The broader Bulukumba Regency's cultural and natural assets — primarily the coastal and shipbuilding heritage — provide the regional context for the area, into which this small community fits.
