The Khoisan People, Bushmen of Southern Africa, History & Facts

The Khoisan People, Bushmen of Southern Africa. The indigenous peoples of Southern Africa who speak non-Bantu languages, namely the Khoikhoi and San, are collectively referred to as Khoisan. Click consonants are a defining feature of these languages. The hunter-gatherer and pastoral lives of the Khoisan are well-known.

These people, also referred to as the San, are thought to number 80,000 and reside in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. The Khoisan, who are recognised as the original inhabitants of South Africa, are well-known for their nomadic lifestyle, their clicking sound when speaking their language, and their close bond with Mother Nature. They are now considered a minority in South Africa after being persecuted in various ways, exploited, and ultimately forced from their land. These days, the San people’s culture and survival are under grave danger.

The ancient San people were considered to be hunters and gatherers who lived off the earth as they roamed the vast regions of Southern Africa. These bushmen have been restricted to smaller areas for a variety of causes, including mining, farming, and the creation of national parks. They now reside in small communities near the Makgadikgadi Pan.

The Bushmen, who were once the most talented artists in Southern Africa, created the intriguing rock art that dates back thousands of years and can be found in caves and rock projections all throughout the nation. The San created stunning depictions of both humans and animals using stains derived from eggs, ochers, blood, and mineral deposits. For a number of years, their paintings were thought to be merely depictions of their everyday lives. Accordingly, the paintings in the Drakensberg Mountains’ caves show that the area was once home to elephants, elands, and leopards—all of which are now extinct in the area. However, contemporary hypotheses attribute these drawings by African tribes to a much more exciting concept. For the Shamans, the caves served as a conduit to the spirit world and were considered to be heavenly monuments akin to cathedrals. The pictures serve as access points to these sites as well as archives of the sessions. Anthropologists believe that this rock art clearly defines the popular trance dance.

The captivating trance dance is essential to the Bushmen’s customs and beliefs. The healing dance, also known as the captivating dance, unites the entire community. The community members regulate the beat by chanting and clapping, while the elders and healers who lead the ritual impersonate animals, clap, dance around the fire, and stamp their feet. They can enter the world of spirits through a powerful, strange state that is triggered by the energy, which is followed by sweating and panting. For these indigenous people, the dance has numerous cultural applications, including curing ailments and warding off what they call “star-sickness,” which breeds resentment, jealousy, and conflicts.

The world’s first and oldest humans: The Khoisan people of Southern Africa