About the San

Nearly all indigenous peoples across the world have at some time suffered from the the theft, loss, destruction of their lands and assimilation of their heritage and culture. All of these problems have been experienced by the San of southern Africa and continue to be experienced.

The San - sometimes referred to as ‘Bushmen' – are the first people of southern Africa . Many scientists and academics believe that the San were the very first humans to walk the earth, and that the human race originated from the San. Hundreds of studies, books, films and exhibitions have centred upon the San during the last century. Many of us are curious to find out more about their special status as ‘first people', their historically renowned ability to live as hunter-gatherers, their respect for the land and its natural resources and their amazing and mystic healing ‘trance dance' ceremonies.

However, this romantic image presented by writers, academics and the media could not be further from the truth for most San communities today. During the last few centuries, the San's ancestral lands – their ‘n!oresi' - were seized both by colonialists and migrating Bantu groups; due largely to the aggressive tactics used by incoming groups, but also because the San had no concept of private property. As the land was taken by others and its resources were fenced-in or aggressively defended, it became impossible for the San to live in their traditional ways – to hunt, to gather and to live in various places according to the migratory patterns of the animals. Instead, many had no alternative other than to live and work on the farms of others – often for very little, or no wages at all. Gradually, their traditional beliefs and ways of living became so eroded that the vast majority of San are now the poorest, most discriminated against and socially-deprived people within southern Africa . Equal access to formal education, land, employment, health care, protection of intellectual property and political representation is extremely difficult for the San to come by, despite the ‘Affirmative Action' policies adopted by some southern African Governments.

For the San of today, life in South Africa , Botswana , Namibia and Angola , life is tainted by absolute poverty, dependence on other ethnic groups, alcohol addiction and exclusion. Despite the huge number of foreign tourists who visit southern Africa and who are fascinated with the San, the San whom they usually encounter are either exploited by tourist enterprises or paraded in front of them as ‘genuine Bushmen'.

WIMSA was set up in 1996 in order to challenge such exploitation and discrimination, to advocate on the San's behalf and to support their self-determination.

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