The Kalahari Bushmen

If you want to visit the incredible Kalahari Bushmen communities in Africa, you might have your work cut out for you. The villages are in remote parts of the country. Grab a good map and a good vehicle—or a good tour guide--and you’ll be on your way!

 

The Bushmen are a group of about 80,000 villagers who inhabit the Desert in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Originally, they were hunters-and-gatherers. Today, they're considered a farming community.

The Kalahari Bushmen are largely considered to be among the oldest communities in the world, at some 22,000 years old.

The life of a Bushman is a struggle for survival. They do not have leaders, per se. Instead, they make community rules by consensus. They talk among themselves and make decisions based on what everyone seems to want. If one has more knowledge in a particular area than other people, his thoughts on the subject are given more weight.

Women and men have well-defined roles in their societies. You’ll see men taking care of the fields, hunting for food and acting as protectors. The women prepare meals and act as caretakers for families. In their communities, men and women are viewed as having equal roles; the opinions of women count just as much as the views of men.

Bushmen know where to find food at different times of year. Some villages pick up and move around throughout the year based on where the food is. Different times of year are good for different types of animals and different plants. Don’t be surprised to see families pick up and move constantly in order to provide for themselves.

The Bushmen are famous for their skilled arts and crafts. If you visit the camps, you can expect them to try to sell you their wares. And you may just want to buy some for your own home!

The Bushmen's rock art dates back hundreds or even thousands of years. If you visit the Bushmen communities, you’ll see the elaborate colorings of their rock art. Bushmen have also been making incredible textiles and ceramics for thousands of years. Their amazing skills allow them to create everything from eggshell art to bows and arrows. Their artistic skills also include tribal paintings and lithographs that tell stories.

Kalahari Bushmen are also famous for their tribal dances. They put on performances for other tribes and guests each week that tell stories, make you laugh and simply entertain. Basic tribal dances typically include females gathered around campfires, clapping their hands and stomping their feet, while men dance around them and sing and sometimes go into a religious trance.

If you want to visit the Bushmen, you can either plan your excursion yourself or go on any of a number of pre-arranged visits to Bushmen villages. Many tour guides have established relationships with various Bushmen tribes that allow you to get up close and personal with the Bushmen and their way of life.

The Bushmen like visitors to their camps—believe it or not—because it provides them an outlet to show off their way of life and new customers for the tools, toys and devices they build. They're happy to negotiate with you on price.

When you go on a tour, you’ll see how they live, the types of foods they eat, how they hunt and cook, and the medicines they use. When you hang out with the Bushmen, you’ll find out what survival truly is all about.