Guardians of the Kalahari: The Witdraai Bushmen

By Matthew Abrahams

EVER experienced a hot, rain-starved summer without air conditioning? Shade and water are at a premium and mid-day naps might last from 11am to 4pm. This is the case in the heart of South Africa’s Northern Cape, where the red sands of the Kalahari stretch endlessly. There lies the remote settlement of Witdraai, 18km from the village Askham, which is 185km north of Upington. Here, 100 members of one of the world's oldest cultures, the Witdraai Bushmen, or San people, are the sole inhabitants; they have called this harsh landscape home for thousands of years. Their way of life, deeply intertwined with nature, offers a window into a world that has remained largely unchanged for millennia.

The Witdraai Bushmen (an ethnic title they prefer over San) are renowned for their profound knowledge of the land. Every rock, tree, and animal forms part of a complex web of existence, understood intimately. This knowledge, passed down through generations, is not just survival but a philosophy — a way of seeing the world as a living, breathing entity. The Bushmen's legendary tracking skills, for instance, allow them to interpret subtle signs in the sand to follow animals, find water, and navigate the desert with uncanny precision.

However, modernity is encroaching on their traditional way of life. The pressures of land development, climate change, and government policies have forced many San to adapt to a more settled existence, far removed from the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors. Yet, in Witdraai, efforts are still under way to preserve their cultural heritage. Community projects aimed at sustainable tourism offer visitors a chance to learn about Bushmen traditions while providing economic support to the San. Many entrepreneurs have shown an interest in helping them, but projects often run adrift when business people discover the marginal profits in store. Appropriation of their specialised knowledge of plants has also proven a risk for them, and the Witdraai Bushmen have subsequently become weary of interventions.

This is according to Fransi Phillips, the woman who has advocated for them since 2018. Phillips, a South African born writer, thought-leader and globally established English teacher, has supported them in initiating a recycling project, an art and drawing project, a leather-goods project, and, presently, a nursery for indigenous, healing plants. Phillips has been enabled by the generosity of some of her contacts in the art world, and with donations from the Burkhardt Foundation in Germany.

Well-immersed in the arts, Phillips’s touchstone project remains teaching them English. Fransi recounts the process: “Our first class was on a sandy patch of land, with my new learners arriving slowly out of the bushes, giggling from awkwardness. They had never experienced a lesson in the veld before that, where they felt relaxed and at home. We started by spelling our names in the sand.”

Now 20 members of this clan are attending a school in Askham, which was established for the local Griekwa settlement. In a land of diversity, provision is made for the San within the bigger groupings.

As a minority group, the Witdraai Bushmen are often at the mercy of decisions made by others, and their minority status will never change. At present, their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate, says Phillips. In the early seventies, they were evicted from the national park; when they use their fine hunting skills, it is to secure a warthog for the pot since big game do not roam outside of the park. Meat is still their staple and tinned food provides an option. Phillips remembers how they had shown an interest in making fudge, but sweets are not part of their cycle of desire. Sometimes there is no money to buy provisions from the store and Phillips tells about a time when their water supply was cut for a few months. Being without food and water is a constant threat. Sponsors and funders are available, but sadly the Witdraai Bushmen have been left in the lurch in the past, often when investors realise how little profit is in it for them.

Phillips explains the significance of the present nursery project — this group are family of a famous Bushman. The clan at Witdraai are direct descendants of Dawid Kruiper, who is known for winning the largest land claim in South Africa's history for the Bushmen after they were evicted from the national park in the 1970s. "Unfortunately," says Phillips, "the government then persuaded him to share it with everyone (up to the 6th generation) who has Bushman blood. As a consequence, there were many more coloured people than Bushmen who benefited from the dispensation, and, together with the park council, exploited the Bushmen to such an extent that the Bushmen are millionaires on paper while in reality they are dying of hunger and thirst." On the occasion when their water supply had been cut for six months, Phillips sent them money from the donors for water. “I don’t know how else they would have survived,” says Phillips.

But with the basics provided, their self-sufficiency is remarkable. Soap is not needed, since they use sand and herbs to wash. Fires are made nightly and, combined with songs sung by a matriarch, are part of a ritual to fall asleep. Getting lost is impossible since they read nature for directions, and the ultimate destination, death, is nothing to fear. Phillips explains that the group unfortunately has a reputation for lack of teamwork. Being driven and ambitious, attitudes that are second nature to a Westernised mind, are not part of their world view even though they are forced to accept Western ways. For example, as much as they would like to wear traditional leather outfits, the lack of springbok skin means that, other than on celebratory days, they are seen in T-shirts and shorts. When Phillips is able to pay them a visit, they might get extra supplies of leather. Her visits to this area are self-funded and the frequency, although usually annual, is determined by available funds.

In this remote area, the oldest people in the world (a fact that has been proven with DNA tests) guard the spirit of the Kalahari while they await their fate. Their steady resilience is a testament to their deep connection to the land. As they navigate the challenges of the 21st century, their story is one of survival, adaptation, and an enduring legacy. In a world where ancient cultures are rapidly disappearing, the Witdraai Bushmen stand as living reminders of humanity's roots in the natural world, but they need our help.

* Matthew Abrahams is a 17-year-old learner at the private school Lees, Leer en Leef in Wellington, Western Cape. Along with his classmates, he conducted interviews with Fransi Phillips between August and November of 2024. Matthew speaks various languages and has a great interest in history, sociology and culture.