Environmental practices of South Africa’s Indigenous ‡Khomani Bushmen

The ‡Khomani Bushmen, residing in South Africa's Northern Cape, have transitioned from a sustainable hunter-gatherer existence to a mode of subsistence that contributes to climate change. This shift is driven by land restitution processes that returned fenced farms rather than open wilderness, and a lack of basic government services like refuse collection and sanitation. Consequently, the community relies on borehole water without a management policy, burns wood and plastic for heat and waste disposal, and uses non-biodegradable packaging. While initiatives like 'veldskool' and youth camps attempt to preserve indigenous knowledge and environmental mindfulness, they are hindered by a shortage of mentors and a lack of immediate behavioral change.

• The ‡Khomani have been unable to maintain their sustainable hunter-gatherer lifestyle because the land returned through South Africa's restitution process remains divided into fenced farms and is subject to regulations that restrict hunting and gathering.
• The community's current subsistence methods contribute to the climate emergency through the burning of wood for warmth and cooking, and the use of plastic bags as firelighters, which release carbon and toxic fumes.
• A lack of government-provided basic services, specifically refuse collection and sanitation, leads to environmentally damaging practices such as burning trash (including plastics and tins) in holes near homes and open defecation in the bush.
• The ‡Khomani's reliance on borehole water in the drought-prone Northern Cape is precarious because there is no established water use policy to manage the resource.
• The transition to a modern consumer lifestyle has increased the community's production of non-biodegradable waste, as they now purchase tinned food and plastic-packaged goods due to a lack of electricity for refrigeration.
• Efforts to transfer indigenous environmental knowledge to the youth through 'veldskool' and youth camps are limited by a shortage of reliable mentors and have not yet produced significant behavioral changes.

APA

Grant, J. (2020). Environmental practices of South Africa’s Indigenous ‡Khomani Bushmen. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/environmental-practices-of-south-africas-indigenous-%e2%80%a1khomani-bushmen/

Chicago

Grant, Julie. Environmental practices of South Africa’s Indigenous ‡Khomani Bushmen. World Association for Christian Communication, 2020. https://waccglobal.org/environmental-practices-of-south-africas-indigenous-%e2%80%a1khomani-bushmen/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grant |first1=Julie |title=Environmental practices of South Africa’s Indigenous ‡Khomani Bushmen |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=17 May 2020 |url=https://waccglobal.org/environmental-practices-of-south-africas-indigenous-%e2%80%a1khomani-bushmen/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grant2020environmental, author = {Grant, Julie}, title = {{Environmental practices of South Africa’s Indigenous ‡Khomani Bushmen}}, institution = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://waccglobal.org/environmental-practices-of-south-africas-indigenous-%e2%80%a1khomani-bushmen/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }