Table of Contents
What is the Khoikhoi culture?
Khoekhoen (or Khoikhoi in the former orthography; formerly also Hottentots) are the traditionally nomadic pastoralist indigenous population of southwestern Africa. They are often grouped with the hunter-gatherer San (literally “Foragers”) peoples.
Why the Khoikhoi lived a nomadic way of life?
Nomadic Culture The main reason behind this was to ensure that their animals had sufficient grazing. This nomadic culture meant that the Khoikhoi had to be able to carry their belongings or have them strapped to their animals; consequently their houses were made of lightweight materials such as reeds and poles.
How did Khoikhoi people get food?
Although known as herders or pastoralists, the Khoikhoi also obtained food by hunting and gathering. The Khoikhoi kept large herds of fat-tailed sheep, long-horned cattle, and goats. Livestock were used for milk and were slaughtered only on ritual occasions.
What type of life did the San live?
The San are the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa, where they have lived for at least 20 000 years. The term San is commonly used to refer to a diverse group of hunter-gatherers living in Southern Africa who share historical and linguistic connections.
How did Khoikhoi lived?
The Khoi Khoi were skilled in the practice of nomadic pastoral agriculture. The maintained large herds of cattle throughout the country, and evidence suggests that they migrated to South Africa from Botswana. San people were semi-nomadic, seasonally moving to new regions when water or animals became sparse.
Who are the Khoikhoi people of South Africa?
It had been the latter which the early European settlers first came across when setting foot on South African soil, primarily to the disadvantage of the Khoikhoi. In today’s times the Khoikhoi people have become extinct as an identifiable nation.
What kind of animals did the Khoikhoi eat?
The animals, especially cattle, were a sign of wealth and the Khoikhoi only ate cattle that had died or had been stolen from their enemies. They only killed their own animals for important occasions like funerals or weddings. The women milked the animals and gathered wild plants from the veld and the men killed game for everyday food.
Where did the Khoi and San people come from?
The Khoisan People, The Khoi and San people in South Africa. copyright © South African tourism. There are researchers who claim that the Khoikhoi originally moved from the great lakes in Africa to Southern Africa long after the San.
When did the Portuguese come to the Khoikhoi?
There were no other records of the way of life of the Khoikhoi until the arrival of the Portuguese explorers in 1488. “People who live as herders have to be nomads, they must move from place to place to find enough grazing for their animals.