“Where Can I Find Them?”: SA Woman on a Quest to Find Khoisan People

• Travel content creator Siphelele 'Popi' Sibiya shared that she was looking for members of the Khoisan community
• While the San people were known for being hunter-gatherers, the Khoi people were the first pastoralists who herded cattle
• Popi travelled to parts of South Africa to find the Khoisan people before deciding to head off to another country

A South African travel content creator was on a mission to find the continent's first indigenous people - the Khoisan. Her travels around one of Mzansi's provinces had many online users entertained.

In search of the Khoisan

Siphelele 'Popi' Sibiya, the host of the digital series The Popi Show, shared on her Instagram account that she travelled to the Northern Cape in hopes of interacting with the indigenous community.

She asked her online followers:

"Are there still indigenous nomadic people living in South Africa? Where can I find them?"

Read also

"Can’t deal with this gentrification": SA upset as US man shows 'soft life' in Mzansi

While in the Northern Cape, she first went to Pella and announced her arrival to the chief. She left the town, stating:

"They sent me to a house with brand-new furniture."

The brave young woman then decided to hitchhike, travelling from the highway to Pofadder to Kakamas, and was told to go to a village called Askham to find members of the Khoisan community.

After reaching her destination, Popi saw indigenous people and asked if they could host her. However, she still felt she was in the wrong town as an indigenous man she met wore comfy slippers and spoke English.

He noted that they don't speak their indigenous languages anymore, and he was only wearing his traditional attire to attract tourists to his stall.

With no luck in South Africa, Popi decided that travelling to Botswana was the way to go.

Watch the Instagram video below:

Read also

"Our ancestors fought for freedom": Orania resident unpacks Afrikaners' history

Who are the Khoisan?

According to the information hub South African History Online, hunter-gatherers known as the San people acquired domestic stock in modern-day Botswana. As their population grew, the group travelled to the western parts of South Africa.

"They were the first pastoralists in southern Africa and called themselves Khoikhoi or Khoe."

South African History Online notes that the Khoikhoi, who were the first to come into contact with Dutch settlers in the 1600s, brought a new way of life to the hunter-gathering San and South Africa. Their differences often led to conflict between the two groups.

Internets enjoy woman's search for Khoisan

Several social media users headed to the comment section to share how entertained they were after watching Popi's video and commended the young traveller's bravery.

@samkeh_shandu00 laughed and wrote:

"Oh! You love stressing us as a country, ntombazane. We love you, though."

A humoured @now_jesus_loves_me said to Popi:

Read also

"The gwinya level": Tourist in SA explains why he's not returning to the UK, Mzansi welcomes gent

"Bold is your middle name."

Fellow traveller @umgeni_rivervalley_horsesafari shared with the young woman:

"Your trips are so cool. I was camping in the Kalahari a few years back and we were approached by a group of Khoisan. They lay down their weapons and asked for food. They are out there."

@kubenokuthula_ stated to the online community:

"Popi's bravery is unmatched."

@teballo_riba jokingly advised in the comments:

"Botswana, hide your skeletons."

A Northern Cape resident added:

"I think you might’ve brought us some nice rain. It's been raining nonstop the last few days. I hope you enjoyed the Northern Cape."

3 Other stories about the Khoisan

• In 2018, Briefly News reported about a Khiosan king who declared South Africa belonged to the Khoisan people, wanting to take the country back.
• Police arrested a Khoisan man who was allegedly growing cannabis at the Union Buildings in Tshwane. He was unhappy with the treatment he received from the officers.
• In 2022, the Khoi and San communities were reported to receive R12.2 million from South Africa's rooibos industry in recognition of their traditional knowledge.

Source: Briefly News