Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Until the late 19th century, the Caprivi Strip was under the control of the Lozi kings.
Today, the lingua franca of the various Caprivian tribes is known as Rotse, which is a de-
rivative of the Lozi language still spoken in parts of Zambia and Angola.
Nama
Sharing a similar language to the San of Botswana and South Africa, the Nama are anoth-
er Khoisan group, and are one of Namibia's oldest indigenous peoples.
The Nama's origins are in the southern Cape. However, during the early days of
European settlement, they were either exterminated or pushed northwards by colonial
farmers. They eventually came to rest in Namaqualand, around the Orange River, where
they lived as seminomadic pastoralists until the mid-19th century, when their leader, Jan
Jonker Afrikaner, led them to the area of present-day Windhoek.
On Namibia's central plateau, they came into conflict with the Herero, who had already
occupied that area, and the two groups fought a series of bloody wars. Eventually, the
German government enforced the peace by confining both groups to separate reserves.
Today, there are around 60,000 Nama in Namibia, and they occupy the region coloni-
ally designated as Namaqualand, which stretches from Mariental southwards to Keetman-
shoop. They're known especially for their traditional music, folk tales, proverbs and
praise poetry, which have been handed down through the generations to form a basis for
their culture today.
Topnaar
The Topnaar (or Aonin), who are technically a branch of the Nama, mainly occupy the
western central Namib Desert, in and around Walvis Bay. However, unlike the Nama, who
historically had a tradition of communal land ownership, the Topnaar passed their lands
down through family lines.
Today the Topnaar are arguably the most marginalised group in Namibia. Historically,
they were dependent upon the
!nara
melon, which was supplemented by hunting. Now
their hunting grounds are tied up in Namib-Naukluft Park. Those that remain in the desert
eke out a living growing
!nara
melons and raising stock (mainly goats).
Most Topnaar have migrated to Walvis Bay and settled in the township of Narraville,
from where they commute to fish-canning factories. Others live around the perimeter in
shanty towns. In the Topnaar community, southeast of Walvis Bay, a primary school and
hostel have been provided, although only a minority of students come from the Topnaar
community.
