bushmen

Bushmen is a historical term commonly used to describe the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa who are more widely known today as the San. The name differs from group to group and is often considered outdated or pejorative in some contexts; many communities prefer the term San or the specific name of their people. The San are diverse hunter-gatherer societies whose territories traditionally span parts of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, and to a lesser extent Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Socially, San communities have long organized themselves into small, mobile bands of extended families that move through their lands in seasonal patterns to follow game and harvest plant resources. They are renowned for their knowledge of the desert and savanna ecosystems, sophisticated tracking skills, and use of bow and poisoned arrows, traps, and foraging techniques. Their cultural repertoire includes distinctive music, oral storytelling, and healing practices led by traditional specialists or shamans. The San languages are notable for click consonants and are part of the Khoisan language continuum; many San also speak neighboring Bantu or national languages due to contact and displacement.

Historically, San communities faced displacement and marginalization during large-scale colonization, territorial seizures, and the expansion of agricultural and mining frontiers. In the modern era, many San people live in settlements or reserves, negotiate land and resource rights, and participate in conservation and ecotourism projects. Their cultures and languages are preserved in youth education, cultural programs, and various anthropological and linguistic studies, though challenges such as poverty, drought, and habitat change persist.