The Khoikhoi (or Khoekhoe) are one of the oldest ethnic groups to have settled in southern Africa, and along with the San, they represent the earliest anthropological roots of the region. They are called Khoi, a term meaning “real people” or “men among men” in their language.
The Khoikhoi have inhabited the southern and western parts of the African continent for thousands of years. Linguistic and genetic studies indicate that they diverged culturally from the San around 2,000 years ago, when they began adopting cattle herding as their primary economic activity instead of relying solely on hunting and gathering.
Historically, the term “Hottentot” was used by Dutch colonists to refer to them, a term now considered offensive and racist, as it mimicked the sounds of their language, which included silent “clicks”. The currently accepted scientific and political term is “Khoikhoi” to distinguish them from the San, or “Khoisan” when referring to the two groups as a single linguistic and ethnic group.
The Khoikhoi established larger, pastoral societies. Cattle (cattle and broad-rumped sheep) were the backbone of their economy and social standing. Cattle were not only a source of food (milk and meat) but also a store of value and a medium of exchange.
The Khoikhoi moved their herds according to the rainy seasons and grazing availability, giving them a deep understanding of the geography and geology of South Africa. They had a concept of “private ownership” of cattle, while land was considered communal property of the tribe or clan, which later clashed with the European concept of land ownership.
Besides, Khoikhoi society was more centrally organised than other nomadic groups. Society was divided into tribes, each tribe consisting of several clans related by blood. Each tribe had a chief with limited political and judicial authority. Major decisions were made in consultation with a council of clan elders. They lived in villages known as “kraals”, which were clusters of circular leather tents (matjieshuise) arranged in a circle to protect livestock in the centre from predators or raids. Also, women were responsible for gathering wild plants and managing the tents, while men were responsible for herding livestock, providing protection, and hunting.
The Khoikhoi languages belong to the Khoisan language family and are unique globally due to their use of click sounds.
According to Africa 101 Last Tribes:
“The languages spoken by the Khoi and the San (Bushmen) were part of a broad family of Khoisan languages (clearly distinguishable from the Bantu languages spoken by the neighboring agricultural Nguni and Sotho). The Khoisan languages, well-known for the prevalence of a range of different clicks, can be subdivided into Khoikhoi (Hottentot) and San (Bushmen) languages.
The classification of Khoekhoe peoples can be broken down roughly into two groupings: Northern Khoekhoe & Southern Khoekhoe (Cape Khoe).
The Khoi manufactured skins into clothing, bags, and blankets, and threaded reeds together to make sleeping mats and mats to cover their round houses. Mat houses provided very practical accommodation, especially in warmer climates. During warm days they offered a cool, relatively bright shelter, with the crevices between the reeds allowing air to circulate. During the rains, the reeds would swell as they absorbed water and therefore offer good protection against leaks. During the cold months, the inside of the house could be lined with skins to offer extra insulation against the elements. This structure also had the advantage that it could be dismantled and reerected every few months in response to the changing seasons or when grazing in the surrounding area became depleted.”
The year 1652 marked a tragic turning point in Khoikhoi history with the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck and the establishment of a Dutch East India Company supply station in Cape Town. Initially, the Khoi Khoi traded cattle with the Dutch for copper, iron, and tobacco.
As the Boer colonists expanded into the interior to establish permanent plantations, a series of wars broke out between 1659 and 1673. These conflicts resulted in the Khoikhoi losing their strategic grazing lands. Smallpox, introduced by the Europeans, had a devastating impact; epidemics in 1713 and 1755 wiped out entire Khoikhoi tribes who lacked natural immunity to the disease. With the loss of cattle and land, survivors were forced to work as labourers or slaves on the colonists’ plantations, leading to the disintegration of their traditional tribal structure.
It is impossible to discuss the history of the KhoiKhoi without mentioning Sarah Baartman, a KhoiKhoi woman who was taken to Europe in the early 19th century and displayed in a “circus of human monsters” because of her physical features, which Europeans considered unusual. Her story, and the repatriation of her remains from France to South Africa in 2002, remain a symbol of the abuses suffered by these people and the struggle to regain historical dignity.
Over the past three centuries, many KhoiKhoi have been demographically assimilated with other groups (Europeans, Malays, and slaves brought from Asia) to form what is known today in South Africa as “coloured”. However, some groups have maintained their distinct identity, such as the Nama people of Namibia and South Africa.
KhoiKhoi leaders are demanding broader constitutional recognition as “indigenous peoples” and official status for their languages, equal to that of Bantu languages and English. Many groups are seeking to reclaim grazing rights in areas historically taken from them.
Academic and community efforts are underway to teach the Khoekhoegowab language (or Nama/Damara) to new generations to prevent its extinction.
