The Kalahari Desert
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Khoisan Peoples
The San
Namaqualand
Namib desert
The Western Cape
The Karoo
Surviving in the Desert Areas of Southern Africa
Kavango - Kwando - Zambezi Transfrontier Park
The Kalahari Desert < back to Top >
An arid and semi-arid region in southern Africa. This includes southwestern Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and northern South Africa. Usually the areas between the Orange River in the south and the Okavango River valley to the north is referred to as the Kalahari. The surface is generally covered with red soil and low-growing grasses and bush. In the east however large patches of sand are found. Heavy rains cause pools of water to form in the region's extensive mud flats.
The Kalahari was crossed in 1849 by the Scottish explorer David Livingstone. Many of the Boers who attempted to trek across the Kalahari on their way from the Transvaal to Angola in 1878 and 1879 died of thirst in the desert.
The desert is inhabited by the Khoikhoi and San peoples and covers an area of about 712,250 sq. km which makes it the biggest sand-flats on earth.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
< back to Top >
The South African section was formerly known as Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and is 9,591 square kms in extent. It was established in 1931 to protect large migratory populations of gemsbok, eland, wildebeest, hartebeest, ostriches and springbok. Predators such as the lion, leopard, and cheetah are also found, as are 140 species of birds.
Botswana's part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formerly known as Gemsbok National Park, (28,400 square km) and lies in the extreme southwest
of Botswana. There is no physical barrier between the two countries within the park. This allows wildlife to move freely and for many years there has been informal co-operation between the two authorities.
This co-operation was formalized by the creation of the "Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park" on 12th May 2000, and the two former parks are now managed as a single entity, whilst still recognizing the territorial integrity of each country.
The Wilderness Trail starts from Polentswa near Nossob and is only open to 4x4 vehicles. It covers some 250 kilometers that wind from pan to pan through to the northern boundary of the park, through a new check-in point at Kaa, where trail participants may wish to have a shower and replenish water supplies.
The trail then turns back into the park to follow a further route along more pans. Eventually the trail re-joins the Nossob Valley road 20 kilometers before a spot called Union's End close up against the Namibian border. The trail is only available on an advance-booking basis to 2-4 vehicles travelling together and taking a set time to complete the trail - only one group is permitted to commence the trail on any given day, thus ensuring that no others will be encountered along the way.
You can also enter or leave the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through a new entrance at Kaa. Kaa (which means "nothing" in the local language as that is what the first people found there) is not yet marked on maps.
You can now enter or leave the KTF from Namibia, Botswana or South Africa.
The Khoisan People
< back to Top >
A group of nomadic people, who inhabited what is now southern and western South Africa, when this region was colonized by European settlers in the 17th century. They can be divided into 2 distinct yet related groups of people - the Khoi and the San. Both the Khoikhoi and the San languages belong to the Khoisan group, of which Nama is the principal language
The Khoikhoi have also been called Hottentots, a name given them by whites in South Africa. In their own language, Khoikhoi means "men of men."
Physical Appearance
Culture
A small number of Khoikhoi still lead a nomadic life, in which pastoralism has taken precedence over hunting. They are divided into tribes under separate chiefs, each tribe occupying its own territory. Trade is carried on by barter in cattle, which are raised mainly for milk, the chief food of the Khoikhoi. Most of the meat they eat is still procured by hunting, and a variety of wild roots and fruits are gathered. The possession of cattle has given rise to status distinctions of wealth and prestige.
Within a tribe the Khoikhoi are organized in clan groups and practice cross-cousin marriage. Lines of descent are reckoned through the father. Their religion is a combination of animism and the personification of the natural forces that produce rain.
The Khoikhoi believe in the existence of the soul after death and in a ruler of all things who came out of the east. Their graves, therefore, are oriented toward the east. During every visit to a cemetery the Khoikhoi add to a pile of memorial stones, a practice that has enabled anthropologists to trace with some accuracy the course of their nomadic wanderings and large-scale migrations.
Although the Khoikhoi have no priestly class and no temples or places of united worship, they have healers and sorcerers who are called on to heal the sick by magic. An extensive folklore exists, having many resemblances to that of the neighboring Bantu.
In the past, the San have been called Bushmen by southern African whites; they are now often known as the Khoi-San to reflect their cultural affinities. The San speak Khoisan languages characterized by click sounds. Linguistic groups include the Auen, Gwi, Heikum, Kung, and Naron.
About half of the approximately 50,000 San still live as hunter-gatherers organized in small groups, or bands, of about ten nuclear families. Each group has exclusive rights to an area of about 775 sq. km (about 300 sq. mi.) and usually moves around its rather desolate territory as a unit, changing homesites about once a month as the food supply is exhausted. Women gather wild plants and fruit, which provide most of the nourishment. Men supplement the diet by killing animals with light bows and poison-tipped arrows. During the winter, when the overall food supply is reduced, the group's households live apart.
Each band of San is led by a hereditary headman with limited power. Groups are not politically linked, but individuals are linked by an intricate web of kinship. The San sometimes dwell in caves or thatched shelters and wear short aprons and sandals made of skins. They are skilled in painting and engraving pictures on the walls of their caves, and their religion is complex.
The San have lived in southern Africa for thousands of years. Their territory, once extensive, was constricted by white settlers after the early 1700s. In the 20th century many San took up a settled existence, mostly as farm laborers, and as a result their cultural heritage has been altered.
A region in western South Africa. Namaqualand, sometimes called Little Namaqualand, is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Olifantsriver and on the north by the Orange River, which forms the border with Namibia.
Namaqualand contains three distinct terrains: a sandy coastal plain along the Atlantic, a central mountainous area with peaks up to 1707 m, and a high plateau in the east. It is an arid region, with 50 to 300 mm of annual rainfall. Average temperatures along the coast remain in the 12° to 18° C range throughout the year, while inland locations have very warm summers and more variable weather.
Vredendal has recorded the highest bodily felt temperature in the world - 56° C. The cold Benguela Current, an ocean current that sweeps northward along the southwestern coast of Africa, is responsible for the low precipitation, frequent fog, and lower temperatures along the coast. Because of low precipitation and soil infertility, Namaqualand has sparse, stunted semi-desert and desert vegetation. Nevertheless, the region is known for the profusion of wildflowers that bloom briefly after the spring rains.
Namaqualand has a population of about 100,000 and an average density of only about 1 person per sq. km. Approximately 75% of the population is of mixed racial descent. About 18% are whites, and the remaining 7% are blacks.
The name Namaqualand refers to the Nama-speaking people (the Khoikhoi) who were once predominant in the region. The Khoikhoi and the San, another indigenous people, are no longer identifiable as distinct groups in Namaqualand. Afrikaans is now the primary language of the region, although English, Nama, and Xhosa are also used.
The economy of Namaqualand is based primarily on mining. The native population mined and traded copper before the first whites arrived. Modern exploitation of the richest copper deposits, at Okiep, began in the early 1860s. Rich alluvial diamond deposits were found in 1926 on the coast near Alexander Bay. Several other minerals are mined, including feldspar, beryllium, sillimanite, lead, iron and zinc. Earnings from work in the mines are crucial for the survival of many poor rural families.
The majority of the population is engaged in agriculture, both small-scale subsistence farming and large-scale sheep ranching. Along the Olifants- and Orange river there are intensive vegetable, grapes and other deciduous fruit farms.
A large commercial fishery is based at Port Nolloth, Lambertsbay and Doringbay. The main road from Cape Town to Namibia - the N7 - passes through the heart of Namaqualand, serving the local economy and affording access for tourists, who come to see the wildflowers and to visit Richtersveld National Park, located along the Orange River
It is a temperate desert, extending about 2500 km along the coast of southwestern Africa, mainly in Namibia. It start at the mouth of the Olifantsriver in South Africa and ends more of less near Lobito in Angola. The desert reaches inland for up to about 150 km and is kept cool and dry by the effects of the cold Benguela Current offshore. About 50 mm of rain falls each year.
Tungsten and diamonds are important mineral products. The desert is very sparsely inhabited except for isolated communities like Port Nolloth, Luderitzbay, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Namibe in Angola.
The Namib can be divided into distinct landscapes. From about Hondeklipbay to Luderitzbay you have a "stone desert" with flats and stony outcrops every here and there. From Luderitzbay to Swakopmund it is a real "sand desert' with some of the highest sand dunes in the world. The northern part is a stone desert again. The Namib is famous for its wild horses around Luderitzbay, for the sturdy gemsbok and the amazing Welwitcia plants that can get thousands of years old. Nama succulents of an amazing variety is found all over.
The Western Cape
< back to Top >
A province in southwestern South Africa, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Indian Ocean on the south, and by Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces on the north and east.
Created in 1994 from part of Cape Province, one of the four former South African provinces, Western Cape covers about 130,090 sq. km.
The Western Cape can be divided into three climatic zones:
Cape Town is the oldest town in South Africa situated at the feet of the magnificent Table Mountain (1086 m). A chain of mountain ranges, including the Outeniekwaberge, Hexrivierberge, Cederberg, and Tsitsikammaberge ranges, separates the coastal areas from the interior. Average temperatures in Western Cape range from 16° to 32° C in the summer and from 7° to 18° C in the winter.
The population of Western Cape was estimated to be about 5 million in 2000. People of mixed racial descent make up the majority of the population. Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa are the three primary languages spoken in the province. Most residents are Christians, but the province has a large Muslim community.
Founded in 1652, Cape Town is the province's capital and largest city, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa. Other important towns include Beaufort West, George, Mosselbay, Oudtshoorn, Saldanha Bay, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester and Vredendal.
Important cultural and historical sites in the province include Groot Constantia, home of Simon van der Stel, one of the Dutch governors of the Cape Colony; Groote Schuur, located in Cape Town, the official residence of South Africa's president and formerly the home of Cecil Rhodes the famous diamond dealer; the Castle, a Dutch colonial administrative center begun in 1665 and the
oldest building in Cape Town; Genadendal, the first mission station established
in South Africa; and Robben Island, the site of a notorious prison that housed South Africa's most famous antiapartheid political prisoner Nelson Mandela.
Western Province has three universities: the University of Cape Town (1829); the University of Stellenbosch (1859) and the University of the Western Cape (1960).
Textiles, fishing, and printing and publishing rank as Western Cape's most important industries. The province is also an important farming region, producing wheat and fruits such as apples, grapes, peaches, and oranges. Cape wine is world famous. The Karoo has many sheep ranches and is noted for its wool production. Ostrich farms around Oudtshoorn make the area a famous source of ostrich feathers.
The name "Karoo" stems from the Khoikhoi word "karusa" which means barren or dry. It is a huge semi-desert plateau in southern Africa. The Little Karoo is located between the coastal Langeberg range on the south and the Groot-Swartberge and other ranges lying about 24 km to the north. Extending north from the Groot-Swartberge and the Witwatersrand for more than 1300 km is the Great Karoo.
During most of the year, the Karoos are parched. Some parts are irrigated, however, and are very fertile. The general elevation of the Karoos is between 30 and 1220 m above sea level.
During summer it can be very hot with terrifying thunder storms every now and then. Winter temperatures drop way below 0°C. The area reminds one of the Australian Outback with huge sheep ranges. It is very scarcely populated with the majority of the people being Afrikaans speaking Colored people. Major towns in the Karoo are Beaufort-West, Cradock, Calvinia, Upington and Kimberley.
It is a wonderful area to visit with hospitable people, lots of open spaces and plains-game to hunt.
Surviving in the desert
< back to Top >
Surviving in the Desert Areas of Southern Africa.
1: Always have a good map with you and stop often to ask the locals your exact position, even if you have a GPS and know how to use it. The locals knows the area and will offer you tips and info on road conditions free of charge. Take some cheap ballpoint pens or writing books with you to hand out - if you need to.
2: Always have extra fuel and water with you. You can use empty 2-liter soda bottles. They are lying around all over and are strong, easy to handle and easy to store away. You must have at least 2 liters of water per person and 20 liters of extra fuel. Put it away in you vehicle and forget about it. If your vehicles has a large fuel tank and is capable of doing 700 km plus a tank, it would not be necessary. Fill the tank at every available station.
3: Plan a proper itinerary and give it to friends and family - stick to this itinerary. If you must change it, immediately notified them via SMS, satellite phone or Internet when and how you plan to change the itinerary. Make specific appointments to contact them. If not - they must notify the authorities.
4: Certain areas are off-limits for 1 vehicle. Do not take a chance on this. If you are unsure about a specific route, rather ask advise ahead of your tour. Speak to others that have traveled that particular route. Log on to the rec.travel.africa newsgroup and ask for advise. You are also welcome to write me at kosie@new.co.za
If you must enter that particular area - go to the last point of "civilization" and ask the locals for more info. Wait till you can join up with another vehicle or group going into the area.
If there is no way out of this - report to the local police and to the contacts at home. Tell them the exact place, route and duration of the particular route. Make a firm appointment to report back.
5: Do not leave the vehicle - it is easier to spot a vehicle than to spot a person. If you must leave it, write a proper report of your situation and your plan - give as much detail as possible. Leave it on the seat or
dashboard where anybody can read it. If possible - leave somebody at the vehicle whilst others goes on a scout - always decide beforehand exactly where the scout would go and stick to the agreement.
6: Always make a fire and keep it burning - have lots of leaves or wet branches to put on the fire. Smoke will always draw attention in remote areas. People will see it from miles away and will sent somebody to investigate - they all fear uncontrolled veld fires. Burn the spare-wheel after you have deflated it to make a lot of thick, dark smoke.
7: Your vehicle has at least 20 lt. of water under the bonnet and in the engine. With proper planning, you can utilize that to survive.
8: Remember that more people die of cold than of heat - take proper care at night. Do not discard your warm jacket or sweater during a hot day, even in the midst of summer, it can be very cold during the early morning hours.
Do not sit in the vehicle when it is hot; move into the shade of a rock or tree closeby. Keep something on your head - an opened magazine during the day, if you do not have a hat. Rap a towel or any piece of cloth around your head at night - the head is where the brain-box is situated and needs special care.
9: Look at the animals and insects. Most of them need water every day and you can determine where it is by observing them - especially at sunset and during the first 3 hours after sunrise.
If you do not know how to distill water from liquid, wet a cloth and wipe your cheeks with it. Wait 15 minutes and if your see no rash or experience any uncomfort, wipe your whole body. Your skin will absorb a lot of moisture. You can even roll in the liquid or wet all your clothing with it.
10: Do not drink liquids with alcohol in it. This will cause your body to loose a lot of fluids. Rather heat the alcoholic liquids to allow the alcohol to evaporate - then drink it. You can even open the can or bottle and let it stand open for a few hours.
Keep your bladder as full as possible at all times - restrict yourself to urinate. This will prevent your body from dehydration so quickly.
11: Keep a small, hard stone in your mouth. This will cause the glands to secrete spittle and your mouth will not feel so dry. In this way, you can fool your thirst a bit.
12: In the desert, many of the plants are succulents with thick, watery leaves. Watch animals to determine what they eat and follow suite. What ever you decide to chew on, first smear a bit of the plant on your cheeks and wait 15 minutes - see for a rash or any feeling of discomfort.
If none - chew some of it.
Do not swallow it but spew it out and wait another 15 minutes. Wait for any discomfort in your mouth. If none - chew the plant properly and swallow it - wait another 15 minutes before the rest of the group is allowed to also chew the plant.
13: Urine is a very good anti-septic fluid, use it to clean bruises, bites or scratches.
14: Blow the horn/ hooter of your vehicle early in the morning and late at night. Sound carries very far and the dogs will hear it from miles away. The locals will come to investigate. Blow the horn/hooter for about 10 seconds and wait a minute of so. Repeat about 20 times.
15: Tune the radio to any station you can find and listen to it. The radio uses little current but the contact with the outside world will keep your spirits up. Stay calm and think. Talk a lot to your companions and plan together. If all else fails, pray.
Kavango - Kwando - Zambezi Transfrontier Park
< back to Top >
(Incorporating existing parks and conservation areas in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.)
1: Introduction.
This amazing area varies from the "thirstland' of the Kalahari Desert, to the amazing Okavango Swamps and the tropical paradise around the world famous Victoria Falls. Large sections of this area has never been fully explored but more than 500 species of birds have been listed. The animal kingdom is truly remarkable with Sable antelope, Roan antelope, elephant, buffalo, hippopotamus and crocodile in abundance.
The oldest living human inhabitants date back to more than 80,000 years ago. When the "Abantu" settlers moved into this area round about 1750, they found small families of Khoi-Khoi, the Bushmen, living there. Today you still find groups of !Khûng and Khoé bushmen living as hunter-gatherers amongst the Abantu tribes in obvious peace.
2: Development.
Amongst them are:
A few major towns have developed in this area of whom only Katima Mulilo in Namibia is in the center. Mavinga in Angola, Ghanzi and Maun in Botswana, Rundu in Namibia, Livingstone in Zambia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, are all more or less on the border of this proposed Park. There are a few tarmac roads in this area, some electrical networks especially towards the major town and naturally communications networks. For the rest, it is just one huge unspoilt and undeveloped hinterland with small informal settlements where tribes-peoples eke out and existence-farming, often in symbioses with the wildlife.
The area that is part of Angola, is now in the process of negotiating peace after so many years of war but it is still very unstable with uncontrolled groups of armed bandits roaming around. The wildlife has been hunted down to the point of near-extinction and there are plenty of landmines and other un-accounted for weapons. Yet peace is coming and slowly things are returning back to normal. The animals are again returning to their traditional feeding areas and the refugees are returning to the "lands of the fathers" and settling into a life that they have lived for millennia.
3: Involvement:
In 1989 a group of us started a non-governmental development trust with the explicit purpose of working in the areas of northern Namibia. By 2000 a huge refugee camp was established at "Osire" about 200-km north-east of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. At times there were more than 25,000 refugees living there. We helped them to form some sort of leadership structure and then initiated training sessions every month. The idea of these sessions was to empower them to help their own peoples country. I personally visited "Osire" three times to handle such training sessions.
During September 2001, we meet a group of leaders from the Okavango region for a planning session. The idea of this proposed Transfrontier Park was born there. The initial idea was to establish, in association with local communities, sites for the building of tourist camps. Our role would be to help with the planning, the know-how for the initial construction and the marketing of these "tribal tourist camps." We felt that Eco-tourism is the route we must go, thus we must build camps run by the local communities and incorporating their cultures and traditions in the whole operation of the camps.
4: The plan
Our idea is to start preliminary negotiations with all the local communities living in these areas. Only after we have their active co-operation and imput, we can do a proper assessment of the problems, needs and potential of this huge area. After proper research, an initial development plan can be put together. This must be taken back to the local peoples. With their approval, we could then start negotiations with the different governments. This would necessitate more research, negotiations and planning's before implementation. We would like to stress this important point, that the key to the success of this park, lies completely in the hands of the communities inhabiting the area - without their complete approval and co-operation, the Park is doomed to strife and destruction and one of the truly "wild" areas of Africa, will be lost for ever.
The base for starting this park would initially be to town of Rundu in northern Namibia as it has the necessary infrastructure. The development of the Park will be done in phases.
Initially it would be advisable to incorporate only the three parks in Namibia with those of Angola. This would constitute the biggest area with the lowest concentration of people. The settlement of Bagani would then be the center of the Park as Bagani has a good runway and the necessary infrastructure. For a second phase, the area in Zambia and those in Botswana could be incorporated.
The third phase would be to incorporate existing tribal lands or other free-hold lands into the Park. Lastly the parks in Zimbabwe could be incorporated. The existing parks there have good infrastructures but at present, the regime in Zimbabwe does not allow for international support.
At the final phase, the town of Katima Mulilo in Namibia, would be the center of the Park. The necessary operational offices would then be moved there as at present the town already boasts a well developed infrastructure.
For any further info or contact, feel free to contact:
Mr. Koos Greeff
+27 - 2721 - 6107. Phone and Fax
Haruseb Safaris, P.O. Box 62, Klawer, 8145, Republic of South Africa.
Tel / Fax +27 (0)27 - 2161071
Email: Haruseb@new.co.za
The Khoikhoi are related to two neighboring peoples, the San (Bushmen) and the Bantu, and may have originated in southern Africa from a cross between these two peoples. True Khoikhoi closely resemble the San and average a little more than 1.5 m (5 ft) in height.
Modern Khoikhoi culture has been affected by contact with Europeans and by incursions and conquest by neighboring peoples, particularly the Bantu. Most of the Khoikhoi have been absorbed into the large detribalized and mixed-blood population of South Africa. A few groups, however, were driven north and west into less productive areas of the land, where the majority are settled on reserves or in rural European communities. Many of these people work as laborers, and their social system has been adapted to a settled existence. The former tribal chief now acts as the head of a village group.
The area surrounding the Okavango-, Kwando- and Zambezi Rivers, has been described as the "Eden of Africa" as long ago as in the beginning of the previous century. Since then very little and very much has changed. Much has changed in this sense that the areas has been carved up into 5 different countries and has experienced the scourges of war. Little has changed in this sense that hardly any development has taken place and the border is often just a line drawn on a map - still peoples and wildlife co-exist in harmony and trek across borders at will.
During the years, the various governments established conservation areas here.
1:Coutada Publica do Mocusso and the Coutada Publica do Luengué in Angola.
2: Moremi Wildlife Reserve and Chobe National Park in Botswana.
3: Kaudom-, Caprivi-, Manage- and Mudumo National Parks in Namibia.
4: Sioma Ngwezi National Park in Zambia.
5: Zambezi-, Kazuma Pan- and Hwange National Parks in Zimbabwe.
I have been actively involved with the hospitality industry since 1977 and with social development work since 1984. During that time I started visiting groups of refugees from the civil war in Angola and trying to assist them in any way.
The idea at present is to incorporate as large an area as possible and to establish a free roaming area for animal and tourists in this area. We would also try to incorporate as many as possible of existing settlements and communities into the running of this park. Great effort will have to be made to establish sustainable, co-existing industries and farming enterprises so as to not prevent the local inhabitants from living a decent human life. This sort of peaceful co-existence between man and wildlife, is possible as is the example of Kenya and Tanzania. As this has been the lifestyle of this area for so many millennia, we are confident that with the right imput from governments and international societies, we could establish such an "Eden" again. This would not only benefit the local inhabitants of this area, but also all of mankind for the ages to come.
P.O. Box 62,
Klawer,
8145.
Republic of South Africa.
+27 - 83 - 6515686 Cell.
kosie@new.co.za
Cell. +27 (0)83 - 6515686