On the surface, the San seem to be very simple people. They are hunters and gatherers who’s traditional stomping ground is the endless space of the Kalahari. The somewhat derogatory term ‘Bushmen’ disguises the fact that San culture can be traced back over 20 000 years – about 15 000 years before the rise of dynastic Egypt. The San never built grand monuments, they are not conquerors and they didn’t write elaborate books; hence a people that has survived the rise and fall of many empires is often underestimated.

The Kalahari is a harsh environment. The 900 000 km² of arid sand and savannah seems hostile at first, but radiates a fascination that escapes description. Stretching across Botswana, Namibia and South Africa’s Northern Cape; the Kalahari is a place of modest and very hardy creatures. Oryx, springbok and hartebeest roam the vast space with big cats in desperate pursuit. The San learned to live off the sparse vegetation of the Kalahari. While the women gather melons, tubers and berries to provide the majority of the band’s nutritional needs, the men hunt with bows and poisoned arrows. Moving in small bands, the San are nomads that don’t need more than they can carry.

The San maintained this modest lifestyle in harmony with the arid Kalahari for 20 000 years; both parties unchanged, constant. As impressive as this is in itself, there is more to the people that once roamed large parts of Southern Africa. Conflicts with other tribes and colonial invaders eventually narrowed their territory down to the semi-arid savannah. Rock paintings dating back thousands of years bear witness to the age and range of San culture. Sites such as Tsodilo Hills, Twyfelfontein and Matobo Hills have been declared World Heritage Sites for their abundance of San art. Behind the seemingly simple depictions of hunting scenes and daily life lies a code that references a spiritual world. Behind the modest lifestyle lies knowledge and age-old wisdom undervalued and endangered in today’s world. The empire of the San is falling.

Understanding the Bushmen

The Kalahari is a harsh and taxing environment. The climate is hot and dry during the day and bitterly cold at night. Plants carry hostile thorns for protection, while water is a rare commodity. The San were driven into the Kalahari by belligerent Bantu tribes, and they consequently made it their home. The knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years make the San some of the most skilled survivors on the planet. The San created a sustainable lifestyle in hostile environment. This requires a level of skill and understanding far beyond western schooling. While we do our best to tame and civilize our environment, the San have developed a deep understanding of their surrounds that allows them to blend in with nature – even under the harshest circumstances.

The charms of the Kalahari are not obvious, but once you get a taste of the red sand and endless horizons, you cannot help being intrigued. It is similar with the San. Their physical appearance is less than impressive, they have no weapons or great possessions and their lives are simple. Yet there is much to learn from these desert dwellers. The semi-nomadic San live in bands of 10-40 people without chiefs. Conflicts are resolved by long discussions and group consensus – a practise that has led to research projects in mediation and conflict resolution. They are world renowned for their tracking skills and their understanding of hidden properties of the indigenous vegetation. In trance dances, they connect to their ancestors and the spirits of nature. Bands engage in these nightly dances for many hours until the dancers enter an altered state of consciousness. The trance dance is one of the oldest rituals known to mankind and the images seen by the dancers are scattered across Southern Africa as rock paintings.

Fall of the Traditional Lifestyle

The traditional San lifestyle is older than any ancient or modern civilisation. This culture without a written language, historical monuments or great heroes, seems very simple. It, however, has many aspects that are advanced, worth studying and that demand our attention and respect. Unfortunately for the last century, things went completely the other way. The San were driven from their land and even hunted by European invaders. While San withstood most of these challenges, they are being increasingly engulfed by a Westernized world. As these modest people are driven even from the desert, they seem to have no choice but to assimilate themselves into a modern world that holds a future of poverty. Once this step is taken it seems there is no way back.

The traditional lifestyle of the San or Basarwa as they are known in Botswana may seem undesirable for us Westerners, but in the end it is a matter of perspective. Compared to the San, our culture and lifestyle are infantile; yet we seem to believe that our matters and concerns have the right of way. The disrespect and misunderstanding of this minority reached a climax when two San tribes were resettled from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve starting in 1997. Reasons given by Botswana’s government included the integrity of the game reserve as a conservation area and an improvement of the living standard of resettled families. None of these reasons, however, seemed convincing and it is actions like these that leave the tradition and incredible knowledge of the San to die in the red dust of the Kalahari.

The San Today

The reality of the San has changed drastically over the last few centuries. No longer able to fight off Westernisation, the majority of the 100 000 San live in cities and settlements mostly in Namibia and Botswana. While many of them struggle with the transition, the process is irreversible. You will find most San people wearing jeans and shoes, shopping at the supermarket and listening to same music as you. They don’t want to be what you expect them to be. When you meet someone with San heritage, don’t expect them to talk with clicks, to dress down to a loin cloth or walk around with a bow and arrow. In fact don’t expect anything. The San of today have their very own struggles so the best you can do is to listen and learn.

Conserving San Heritage

While the traditional San lifestyle and knowledge is struggling for its existence, the stories and secrets of a 20 000 year heritage are not quite dead yet. Those who realize what is at stake are passionate about conserving the San’s wisdom for present and future generations. While almost all of Southern Africa’s 100 000 San have come to rely on Western amenities, to some degree the knowledge and stories still exist. It is not too late to learn from this ancient wisdom.

The San Education and Culture Centre !Khwa ttu close to Yzerfontein in the Western Cape offers you a journey into San history and culture. San guides share traditional knowledge, languages and their take on current affairs. Meet the descendants of Southern Africa’s earliest inhabitants and learn from them. The 850ha property conserves indigenous fauna and flora including a number of antelope, small predators and a varied birdlife. The restaurant and accommodation facilities make this a great place to spend more than just a day.

The Kalahari Peoples Network is a platform for people to connect about all things San. The website features academic research; as well as news on community and educational projects. One of the big aims of the Kalahari Peoples Network is to educate and empower San people to use computers and the internet to share their issues and their stories. If you are intrigued by San culture this is a great place to start your research.

An interest in San culture can also be a great excuse to travel. !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is owned by the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities. Explore the Kalahari, the traditional stomping ground of the San and understand the harsh beauty of this fascinating Desert.

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