San

Also known as: San communities

San — indigenous community in Namibia facing marginalization in education, employment, housing, land ownership, and access to government services and commercial benefits from their heritage.

2018-07-202026-08-21

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

July 2026
16 JulThe Namibian
San claim to have been removed from the government's special feeding programme
Source
“Some members of the San community claim to have been removed from the government's special feeding programme, leaving vulnerable communities hungry.”
San families cry foul over food aid cuts
April 2026
29 AprNew Era
San communities called for end to dehumanisation, marginalisation, dignity and land ownership
Source
“Marginalised communities have called for an end to what they describe as continued dehumanisation and marginalisation as they push for dignity and land ownership in Namibia.”
San demands end to dehumanisation, marginalisation …push for dignity, land ownership
May 2025
9 MayThe Namibian
San of the Kalahari call Kalahari truffles 'the eggs of the lightning bird'
Source
“They are called 'the eggs of the lightning bird' by the San of the Kalahari as they often appear after a thunderstorm.”
An impromptu Kalahari-truffle picnic
November 2019
15 NovThe Namibian
San are described as the 'original affluent society'
Source
“Suzman discusses the San as the "original affluent society", a phrase first coined by economist Marshall Sahlins in the 1960s to describe hunter-gatherer societies such as the San.”
Primitive Affluence
July 2018
20 JulThe Namibian
San is Southern Africa's oldest indigenous community
Source
“The San is Southern Africa's oldest indigenous community.”
Storytelling Helps Indigenous People Build Own Solutions

Opinion

German-Namibian genocide talks exclude indigenous community representatives

The News

Bilateral talks on a joint declaration for colonial genocide sideline community representatives and reduce indigenous groups to passive observers, according to this opinion piece. The Namibian government bears responsibility, with Germany as accomplice, as Germany avoids full recognition and conditions its admission on it being a crime only "from today's perspective" to avoid reparations obligations.

26 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 26 July

German-Namibian genocide talks exclude indigenous community representatives
Bilateral talks on a joint declaration for colonial genocide sideline community representatives and reduce indigenous groups to passive observers, according to this opinion piece. The Namibian government bears responsibility, with Germany as accomplice, as Germany avoids full recognition and conditions its admission on it being a crime only "from today's perspective" to avoid reparations obligations.
26 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 18 July

Namibian traditional musicians exploited, excluded from commercial gains
The Namibian reports that Namibia's traditional music communities are systematically excluded from commercial benefits when their ancestral songs and rituals are recorded and licensed by outsiders, receiving minimal compensation while those with recording equipment profit from their heritage.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 16 July

San families removed from government food aid programme
Members of the San, Ovatue, and Ovatjimba communities have been removed from the Marginalised Communities Special Feeding Programme, which distributes quarterly food parcels including maize meal, beans, fish, beef and cooking oil. The Otjozondjupa Regional Council confirmed that vulnerable community members, including unemployed households with children, have lost access to this assistance introduced in 2005.
16 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Census reveals education and housing gaps in marginalized communities
The Namibia Statistics Agency released a report based on the 2023 Population and Housing Census showing that marginalized communities—comprising San, Ovatue/Ovatwa, and Ovatjimba peoples (75,569 people, 2.5% of Namibia's population)—face significant challenges in education, employment, housing, and access to basic services. The data aims to support evidence-based planning and policy formulation to address inequalities.
16 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 29 April

San communities call for end to marginalisation, land ownership
At a Windhoek workshop, San representatives, government officials and activists discussed historical and ongoing dehumanisation and marginalisation of San communities, with calls for dignity and land ownership. Human rights activist Uhuru Dempers criticised exploitative practices such as employing San people as domestic workers and using their children for manual labour, describing these as a continuation of colonial-era dehumanisation requiring leadership intervention.
29 April 2026 · New Era →

Monday 27 April

Namibia reports progress on Indigenous minority access to services
Deputy Minister Moses //Khumub told the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that Namibia has improved access to identity documents, healthcare and education for Indigenous minorities including San, Ovatue and Ovatjimba communities, while highlighting challenges such as drug-resistant tuberculosis and climate change impacts. A national document registration drive between June and August 2025 issued 22,426 identification documents to San community members.
27 April 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 11 March

Hai||om launch High Court case over Etosha ancestral land
The Hai||om have filed a High Court case seeking recognition of ancestral land rights over Etosha National Park and Mangetti West farms, claiming dispossession by German settlers in the 1890s and violent apartheid-era eviction in 1954. They are seeking restoration of land rights, alternative land, or financial compensation, citing violations of the Namibian Constitution and international indigenous rights frameworks.
11 March 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 15 February

Germany backtracks on colonial accountability as new government sidelines Namibia
Germany's commitment to reckon with its colonial past in Namibia has weakened significantly under the new CDU/CSU-SPD government, which mentions colonialism only briefly in its coalition agreement and makes no reference to Namibia. A newly appointed state secretary for culture dismisses adding colonialism to official memory culture as "dangerous relativism," citing the Holocaust as the singular reference point for German state ethics.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 February

Namibia's tourism sector recovers to 79% of pre-pandemic levels
Namibia recorded 1.26 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, a 45.5% increase from 2023, with the high-end sector experiencing robust recovery driven by demand for eco-conscious, low-density experiences in destinations like Etosha, Sossusvlei, and emerging remote areas. The sector is projected to generate N$4.6 billion in 2025 with continued growth expected from improved air connectivity and diversified marketing strategies.
13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 29 January

YouTube streamer IShowSpeed visits Namibia, meets Himba and San communities
American YouTube sensation IShowSpeed toured Namibia, visiting Himba and San communities in Okahandja, learning traditional practices, and sampling local food. The streamer was hosted by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and expressed interest in supporting local campaigns in the communities he visited.
29 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 28 January

Regional inequality and oil wealth spark south Namibia tensions
An opinion piece examines Bernadus Swartbooi's calls for southern Namibian independence in light of historical land dispossession and upcoming oil revenues, arguing that Nigeria's civil war over oil-driven regional wealth division offers cautionary lessons for resolving Namibia's north-south divide through fair resource sharing rather than armed conflict.
28 January 2026 · The Namibian →