Living in one of the most inhospitable terrains in the world, the Kalahari Desert, the San people are hunter-gatherers. More commonly known as ‘The Bushmen’, the San culture is one of the oldest in the world dating back over a hundred thousand years. In the past, they lived throughout Southern Africa, but over time, Bantu tribes and white farmers have pushed them to the edge of hospitable lands. Today there are less than 100,000 Bushmen left. Forced to live along the Kalahari frontier, only around 3000 still survive as their ancestors did.
Most of the San people have been forced to give up their nomadic existence, living in permanent settlements, but they still carry on the traditions of their past. We visited one of these settlements where we spent an evening around a campfire as privileged witnesses to the waning San culture.
The bushman spoke no English, but a guide translated when necessary. In an incomprehensible language of syllables and clicks, they sang songs and told stories, and as the evening progressed, danced around the fire until its embers were dark.
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