Africa is a continent with strong traditions which makes it very attractive and popular among travellers who are cultural enthusiasts. Cultural and historical tours are very popular in Africa and are one of the major highlights in almost every part of the continent you visit.
From remote and hostile societies that are fiercely feared to moderate, friendly and welcoming communities, Africa is home to all character of humans any traveller would wish to visit in their lifetime.
We take a look at some of the most iconic tribes in Africa with focus on leading safari regions of East, Central and Southern Africa.
Himba – Namib Desert
Himba people are semi-nomadic pastoralists found in the Kunene region spanning northwestern Namibia and southern Angola which form part of the Namib Desert ecosystem. There’s an estimated population of 50,000 Himba of which most live in the Kaokoveld area in Namibia. They have resiliently survived in the harsh climate for over 6,000 years having branched off from the Herero people and chose to keep their own Himba identity eventually becoming a unique group. Himba speak Otjihimba language, part of the Bantu Niger-Congo language family.
Social structure
The Himba practice a bilateral descent system organized into patriclan (Oruzo) and matriarchal clans, each led by the eldest male. The Matriarchal clan (Eanda) determines the inheritance of wealth, specifically cattle which passes from a man to his sister’s children. Families are polygamous and all members live together in a village. A Himba homestead is very large encompassing a livestock kraal and a sacred fireplace which is kept burning as a symbolic connection with the ancestors. Among the livestock kept by Himba include cows, goats, and sheep. Cattle are a measure of wealth and social status and also provide milk and meat. In addition to cattle, the Himba may also cultivate some food crops as a supplementary food source which include maize and pearl millet (mahangu). Himba diet is mainly based on fermented sour milk and porridge.
Traditions and customs
Himba culture has been preserved for thousands of years through distinctive social structure and customs including the Holy Fire (Okuruwo) and the science of beauty Otjize and smoke baths. Holy fire is a fireplace situated between the main hut and cattle kraal. It is kept burning all the time and serves as the bridge between the living and the dead. Otjize and smoke baths are used by Himba women to prevent hair growth on the body and protect their skin from the scorching desert sun where temperatures might reach up to 40°C. The deep sandy Arenosols of the region are rich in iron ore minerals including Ochre, a natural red earth pigment which is mined and grounded into powder. Ochre powder is mixed with butterfat and resin obtained from corkwood (Commiphora Jacq) to form Otjize which they apply to give their skin and hair a reddish pigmentation and maintain cultural identity; Himba are referred to as “Red People of Namibia.” Commiphora resin is also used to make smoke bath, an antimicrobial mixture that women bathe in to keep their skin clean and scented with the fragrance of the earth.
Modern transition
Himba culture in the 21st century is undergoing a transition shaped by several factors including climate change and community based tourism and digital innovation among others. The transition is happening as a broader spectrum presenting both challenges and opportunities.
Climate change
For Himba living a semi-nomadic pastoral life has become challenging due to recent climate change related disasters including extreme drought. According to Climate Justice Central, the Namib Desert extreme drought between 2013 to 2019, declared by the government of Namibia as national emergencies, was responsible for loss of livestock and low agriculture production. Over 100,000 cattle were lost, one traditional chief famously said that “Life without cattle is impossible to live.” In addition to drought, livestock is also lost to predators for those living adjacent to protected areas including Hartmann Valley and Skeleton Coast national park. however, compensation schemes
In the Hartman Valley, sustainable tourism through establishment of conservancy Wilderness Serra Cafema is helping Himba people preserve their culture where income is generated through cultural experiences.
Masai – Kenya & Tanzania
One of the most famous African tribes, the Masai occupy a vast area along the semi-arid Great Rift Valley of Tanzania and Kenya. The Masai community is around some of the most outstanding National Parks in the two countries like Serengeti and Maasai Mara. This has facilitated the easy integration of Masai cultural tours with game viewing safaris in these parks making the community frequently visited by international tourists.
The warrior tribe of the Masai trace their origins to the norther Great Rift Valley in Sudan. They are semi-nomadic and also herd cattle which they believe were lowered to earth on a leather thong by the sky god Ngai as a gift to them. The Masai highly treasure cattle and they take the animals as sacred as well as using them as a measure of wealth. Cattle also form an integral part in the Masai’s diet who drink a mixture of cow’s blood and milk.
Other amazing cultural practices among the Masai include the jumping dance which is traditionally performed as an initiation right for young men. The best bride is given as a reward to the young man who jumps highest. They also wear colourful clothing, locally known as shuka with a range of symbolic colours. The colours include red as protection from wild animals, blue for the sky, rains and cattle, orange for friendship and hospitality, green for nourishment and yellow for fertility. The Masai also commonly use saliva in their traditions including spitting in the palm when greeting an elder and spitting on the head of a new-born baby.
Hadzabe – Tanzania
Hadzabe is one of the iconic African tribes of nomadic hunter gatherers found in Tanzania, East Africa. with a population estimate of 1,000 -1,300 members. Hunter-gathering is a subsistence lifestyle relying on foraging for wild plants and hunting animals. Primarily the Hadzabe don’t plant crops, raise livestock, or build permanent shelters. They live in harmony with nature and practice animism, a belief system that all natural objects possess a spiritual soul. The sun (Ishoko) and moon (Haine) are spiritual entities and rituals are held to maintain connection with ancestors. Their homes are temporary structures made of grass and twigs which are abandoned as they follow the seasons and the movement of wildlife in the woodlands surrounding Lake Eyasi. In Hadzabe society, there are no social hierarchies. They have no kings or chiefs. Mutual respect and equal sharing of resources including food is what bonds them together. They communicate through a unique “click” Hadane language, characterized by a high number of consonant sounds which are crucial signals during hunting. Men are the masters of the bow, using arrows tipped with desert rose (Adenium obesu) poison plant to hunt game ranging from small birds to antelopes such as Kudus. In a fascinating human-wildlife cooperation, the hunters whistle to the Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator), a bird species, that helps to guide hunters to wild beehives. Once they harvest the honey, the bird feeds on the remaining wax and larvae. The most skilled hunters are highly respected and most of them smell like the bush and their natural scent helps them to approach prey without detection.
The Hadzabe have preserved their unique way of life for over 50,000 years through oral tradition including storytelling and ritual practices as follows:-
The Epeme dance is a sacred dance performed on moonless nights through which the Hadzabe connect with their ancestors. Women make in a circle, singing and clapping hands in a polyphonic style as men dressed in feathered headdresses with bells tied to their ankles dance one by one in the center of the camp. Stomping of feet creates such a rhythm they believe is heard by ancestors. Epeme also constitutes a rite of meat sharing ensuring that all hunters benefit within the community. Maitoko is another unique ritual practice known as the “Women’s Hunt” performed purposely to harness bonding between girls and boys. Through these rituals, children learn by observing what the adults do and knowledge is passed on from generation to another.
Challenges faced by Hadzabe
Lack of legal land rights
The ancestral lands of Hadzabe are increasingly being encroached on due to population pressure and agriculture. As a result, they’re becoming vulnerable to displacement and living as squatters. Given that they’re nomadic, there’s a need for intervention to support the Hadzabe who own their land legally so that they remain connected to their ancient way of life.
Food insecurity
With ancestral lands of Hadzabe turned into farmlands, their ancient food system may be destabilized and completely lost. If the food and medicinal plants and the wildlife they hunt could shrink from clearing of forests, the Hadzabe diet would change and make them dependent on the modern diet.
Solutions
Despite the pressing loss of ancestral lands, the Hadzabe have continued to preserve their way of life with a supportive system in place. Through Tanzania national tourism and cultural heritage programs in partnership with UNESCO. Together, they launched “Digital Tools for Hadzabe Heritage and Conservation” a groundbreaking project attempting to blend the ancient wisdom of the Hadzabe with 21st-century technology. The traditional tracking skills of Hadzabe are being turned into digital data which can be utilized to map their ancestral lands and create new livelihoods through eco-tourism, wildlife research, and community conservation. The initiative is positioning the Hadzabe as guardians of nature where their ancient knowledge is now being used for sustainable development including mitigation of climate change.
Cultural documentation is a solution to preserve the cultural heritage of the Hadzabe including Hadzane language and oral histories and ensure continuity. As such, there are opportunities for keen photographers intending to document the Hadzabe.
Visiting the Hadzabe
Hadzabe cultural tours are available for booking through a genuine tour operator. Lake Eyasi is located in between the major northern Tanzania destinations including Ngorongoro Crater and southwest of Serengeti national park making for a possible a day or overnight cultural trip. A 2-day Lake Eyasi guided cultural trip offers an opportunity to take part in an active Hadzabe cultural experience involving the men’s hunt at dawn and the chanting women’s gathering walk. Among other unique activities include watching fire making activity the Hadzabe way and archery shooting. Hadzabe cultural walks can be challenging due to the nature of terrain.
Zulu – South Africa
The huge population of the Zulu of over 11 million people makes them the largest ethnic group in South Africa and one of the largest tribes in Africa. Currently the Zulu occupy the Kwazulu-Natal region along the Coast with the Indian Ocean. This warrior tribe is believed to have migrated here from East Africa centuries ago.
