HOW ARE THEY KALAHARI

TODAY?
DESERT'S SAN
Today, many San and Bushmen are
struggling. Many have been evicted from
PEOPLE
their homes to make room for mines and
modernization in recent years.

Only about 100,000 San or "Bushmen"

THE BUSHMEN OF
SOUTHERN AFRICA
"I can't be told by anyone how to live. if I
said to the minister 'Move from your
home', he would think I was mad." -
Busman
REFERENCES:
https://www.shareyouressays.com/knowledge/5-
important-facts-about-the-san-people-
bushmen/111210
people remain in Africa today; some are
still hunter-gatherers, while others work
in cultural centers, demonstrating their
extraordinary hunting and survival skills.
The sad reality is that the San or
Bushmen culture, which has existed for
tens of thousands of years, may be
utterly lost in the next 50-100 years, only
to be found in history books.

https://africawildtrails.com/fast-facts-the-
bushmen-of-southern-
africa/#:~:text=The%20San%20or%20Saan%20Pe
ople,%E2%80%9Cbandit%E2%80%9D%20or%20o
utlaw%E2%80%9D.
 WHO ARE THEY?
The San or Saan people, often known as
"Bushmen," are Africa's indigenous
people and are said to be the
continent's earliest residents.
They are the offspring of Homo sapiens,
the first modern man.
The term "Bushmen" was derived from
the Dutch word "bosiesman," which
means "bandit" or "outlaw." During their
battle with the colonists, they were
given this. Because of its meaning, some
people thought the name was insulting.
On the other hand, they are proud of it
since they see it as a symbol of their
valor in the war against the colonists.
WHEN WERE THEY
DISCOVERED?
They've been on the continent for about
20,000 years. However, their DNA pattern
dates back 80,000 years, which is why they
are thought to be the earliest descendant
of the world's first human.
In 2012, a set of tools was unearthed in
Border Cave in KwaZulu-Natal that is
thought to date back to 44,000 BCE, and
the tools discovered are identical to those
used by the present San.
WHERE DO THEY LIVE?
The San, sometimes known as "Bushmen,"
WHAT DO THEY DO?
are Africa's original inhabitants. They are These people are hunter-gatherers.
semi-nomadic meaning they move from The males hunt for animals while
place to place seasonally depending on the the females are tasked to gather
availability of resources such as food and plants, fruits, insects and ostrich
water. eggs.
They used to be able to roam freely from
place to place until the 17th and 18th The San, often known as "Bushmen,"
centuries, when colonists began to build have no official leader; instead, they
their farmlands in Africa's fertile areas. make choices as a community in
which male and female members
The San people were compelled to relocate are treated equally. When there is a
to places of Southern Africa where disagreement, they have lengthy
cultivation was impossible, such as the discussions until the matter is
Kalahari Desert. The San, sometimes resolved.
known as "Bushmen," can now be found
throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zambia,
Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Angola, and South
Africa.
DISCOUNT
 5 IMPORTANT FACTS
ABOUT THE SAN PEOPLE
WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? 1. TERRITORY
4. HUNTING
From their rock art, hunting ways, survival The Bushmen reside on a large
skills, knowledge of medical edible and plateau, 2,000 meters above sea Bushmen are mostly hunter-gatherers.
deadly plants, music, dancing, and beliefs, level, with vast mountain ranges Hunting is more important than gathering
the San or "Bushmen" have a distinct to the east. It has a subtropical plants, but it requires close adherence to
civilization that is the root of what the climate and, with the exception this seasonal shift in widespread
world has today. of the extreme south-west, abundance, followed by wildlife relocation
R summer rains. The eastern side to a few preferred locations. As a result, the
of the huge plateau receives a Bushmen's area must include constant
O lot of rain. water supplies on which both beast and
C man rely.
K 2. HABITAT

5. CLOTHING
A The Bushmen's habitat, which A guy wears a triangle loincloth with the point drawn
R includes woods, meadows, and thorny backwards between the legs; a woman wears a
shrubs, is distinctive and renowned
T squarish front apron slung from the shoulder, but
for its abundance of large animals. older ladies sometimes wear an apron at the back as
There are several herbivores and well. The cloak, often known as the cross, is the most
H
carnivores that have evolved and significant part of a woman's attire.
U

spread across large territories. Many

N antelope species, both large and tiny,
T such as the giant kudu and duiken
I and steenbok, can be found in huge
N numbers.
G
3. FOOD
Each family is self-sufficient in terms of
P food. Roots, berries, grubs, insects, and
small game such as tortoises, frogs, and
O B lizards, as well as fuel and water, are
I U collected by the women.
S L
O B
N