Story of the first peoples of the Western Cape
The first peoples of the Western Cape are often grouped under the term “Khoisan,” a label primarily used in linguistic and anthropological research. It refers broadly to communities that historically spoke click languages, distinguishing them from later Bantu-speaking farming societies.
This term does not refer to a single historical identity. The people of the Western Cape identified themselves by specific clan and regional names, not by collective labels such as “Khoi”, “San”, or “Khoisan”. These umbrella terms were shaped largely by colonial and academic classification and should be understood as convenient categories rather than lived identities.
The Western Cape before colonial settlement
Before European arrival, the Western Cape was inhabited by a number of distinct indigenous communities, some practising pastoralism and others living as hunter-gatherers. These groups moved seasonally across the landscape, following grazing, water, and food sources.
Material culture reflected this mobility, so these people had light, temporary dwellings and limited possessions. These were designed for transport rather than permanence.
Among hunter-gatherer groups, strong emphasis was placed on social equality and shared resources.. Ideas of land use and ownership differed significantly from European concepts, which later contributed to conflict and misunderstanding. Story of the first peoples of the Western Cape
Oral tradition and belief
Spiritual life in the Western Cape was rooted in oral tradition. There were no written records. Knowledge about religion, healing, history, and the natural world was transmitted through storytelling, ritual, and performance.
Because stories were passed down verbally, there were multiple versions of the same myth. These beliefs varied between communities.
The San and Khoikhoi people both enjoyed singing songs and telling stories. Find some of those stories HERE
Spiritual worldviews
There was no single religion shared by all indigenous groups of the Western Cape. Instead, belief systems reflected close relationships between humans, animals, ancestors and natural forces.
Many traditions understood the spiritual and physical worlds as deeply interconnected. Transformation between human and animal forms appears frequently in stories, as does the idea that life continues after death.
Some pastoral communities buried the deceased with valued possessions, reflecting beliefs about an afterlife.
Spiritual figures and stories
Spiritual figures varied by community and language group. The examples below reflect traditions recorded in parts of the Western Cape and surrounding regions, but should not be treated as universal. These figures often embodied moral lessons, natural phenomena, or historical memory.
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Kaggen, often associated with the praying mantis, appears in several traditions as a creator or trickster figure
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Tsui-Goab is remembered in some communities as a powerful deity linked to creation and protection
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Heitsi-Eibib appears in stories as a culture hero, traveller, or ancestral figure.
Language and identity in the Cape
Khoikhoi means “men of men” or “the real people”. Groups used names like this to show their pride in themselves.
Khoikhoi tribes, organised by clan, included groups like the Namaqua, Cochoqua, Chainouqua, Hessequa, Gouriqua, Goringhaiqua, and Gonaqua, with modern descendants including the Nama, Griqua (Grikwa), and Koranna (Koraqua), often recognized as distinct communities today
The indigenous languages of the Western Cape included several click-language dialects, some of which are now extinct. Writing systems use symbols such as ǀ, ǁ, and ǃ to represent different click sounds.
Language was central to: identity, Spiritual practice and Oral history. Each community had its own dialect or language, reinforcing the idea that the Western Cape was home to many distinct groups rather than a single people.
There are group names that refer to specific broad communities, like|Xam-ka !E, or Nǁngǂe, or Klou-kle. There are even more specific names, for example, the great diviner ǁKabbo was from a community known as Sʼwa-ka !E, referring to the fact that they lived on the plains.
The names of these people, from what we understand by the records, were: ǃURIǁʼAIKUA and ǃURIǁʼAIǀONA. The word Uri means Highland. The word ǁʼAi means Clan (“Stam”), the suffix -kua indicates plural, and the word ǀOna means Children.
These clans were the direct ancestors of the!ORAKHOESIB – the!ORA NATION, or so-called “Korana nation”, of today! (“Korana” is how the name is pronounced without the click. Interestingly, Xhoza is from a Khoi word meaning ” Angry Men”
Rock art and ritual landscapes
The Western Cape contains some of the oldest rock art in Southern Africa, particularly in the mountains and caves. These paintings were not decorative. They are widely understood to reflect spiritual beliefs, trance rituals, healing practices and relationships between humans and animals. Rock art formed part of a broader sacred landscape, linked to storytelling and ritual use of space.
Disruption and survival
The arrival of European settlers in the 17th century brought major disruption, which involved loss of land and grazing routes, restrictions on movement, disease, violent conflict and the breakdown of traditional economies.
These changes led to severe population decline and displacement. Many descendants were absorbed into colonial society or later classified under imposed racial categories.
Despite this, indigenous identities, languages, and belief systems did not disappear. They adapted, survived, and continue to be reclaimed and studied today.
A careful modern understanding
Modern research increasingly recognises that the Western Cape was home to multiple indigenous nations and clans. Broad labels are useful for study, but limited in accuracy. Indigenous perspectives and oral histories are essential to understanding the past
Any account of indigenous belief systems in the Western Cape must therefore balance academic research with respect for local identities, complexity, and continuity.
You may be interested in Healing traditions of the indigenous people of the Western Cape
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Glossary of Terms
Click languages
Languages that use click consonants as part of normal speech. Click sounds are written using symbols such as ǀ, ǁ, and ǃ. Several indigenous languages of the Western Cape belonged to this group.
Clan
A kinship-based community, usually linked by ancestry, language, and shared territory. Clans formed the basic social and cultural units of many indigenous groups in the Western Cape.
Exonym
A name given to a group by outsiders rather than by the group itself. Terms such as San and Bushmen are examples of exonyms.
Hunter-gatherer
A way of life based on hunting animals and gathering wild plants. Some indigenous groups of the Western Cape lived as hunter-gatherers, often moving seasonally to follow food sources.
Khoekhoe-speaking
Refers to communities who spoke Khoekhoe languages and practised pastoralism, particularly herding cattle and sheep. The term describes a language group, not a single people.
Khoisan
An umbrella term used mainly in linguistic and anthropological studies to describe indigenous Southern African peoples who historically spoke click languages. The term does not reflect a single historical identity and is contested by some communities.
Oral tradition
The passing down of knowledge, history, and beliefs through spoken stories, songs, and rituals rather than written records.
Pastoralism
A way of life centred on herding domesticated animals such as cattle or sheep. Pastoralist communities in the Western Cape moved seasonally in search of grazing.
Rock art
Paintings and engravings found on rock surfaces and in shelters. In the Western Cape, rock art is understood to be linked to spiritual beliefs, rituals, and storytelling rather than decoration.
Trance ritual
A spiritual practice in which altered states of consciousness are entered, often for healing or communication with the spirit world. Many researchers interpret elements of Western Cape rock art as representing trance experiences.
Umbrella term
A broad label that groups diverse people or concepts for convenience. Umbrella terms are useful in research but can obscure local identities and differences.
