Location: Richtersveld & Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa / Southern Namibia
Overview & Cultural Background
The Nama are a Khoekhoe pastoralist group inhabiting the hyper-arid rangelands of Namaqualand and the Richtersveld desert in South Africa and southern Namibia. Managing livestock in a landscape with less than 50mm of annual rainfall, the Nama reside in portable dome-shaped mat-huts (|haru om) woven from rushes that expand during rain and allow ventilation during scorching heat.
The Nama practice transhumant pastoralism within the UNESCO World Heritage Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape – the last territory where Khoekhoe transhumance survives. Herders possess profound botanical knowledge of succulents and desert plants, ensuring fragile arid ecosystems are never overgrazed.
Key facts
- Estimated Population: Approximately 300,000 people
- Primary Livestock Herded: Namaqua Afrikaner sheep, goats, and donkeys
- Contemporary Challenges: Extreme aridification in the Namib desert, historical land dispossession, balancing communal pastoral rights with diamond mining concessions, and restricted access to historic water points.
Featured Films in the Festival Program
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Conservation and Traditional Survival 22 min | South Africa | Humair Hayat
