Exploring the !Khwa Ttu Nature Reserve: A Journey into the Past

From Cape Town, we followed the N1 and N7 out of the city, turned left towards Melkbosstrand after about 30 km, and then took a right onto the R27 after approximately 8 km, where, after a total of 83 km, the "Khwa Ttu Nature Reserve" appeared on our right.

Do you remember the last San in Stellenbosch that we recently reported on? Inspired by him and a trip into the Kalahari, we discovered this cultural memorial of the San. Like many other indigenous groups, the San have struggled with their encounters with European explorers and conquerors. Today, around 130,000 San people live in scattered communities across six southern African countries, and their way of life as gatherers and hunters is increasingly forgotten. Unfortunately, they remain largely disenfranchised, impoverished, and threatened.

The Culture of the Bushmen or San

Khwa Ttu was founded in 1999 by the late Swiss anthropologist Irene Staehlin. Inspired by similar cultural memorials for Indigenous peoples in America and Canada, she purchased the 850-hectare property, transforming it into a reserve with native flora and fauna, including zebras and other wildlife.

The non-profit organization has three main goals: training about 75 young, disadvantaged San each year in close-to-home professions, providing globally available resources about the San on a single internet portal, and sharing San culture with outsiders through personal encounters and tours.

After about three hours, we stood again at the gate, both impressed and saddened. We are grateful for this experience and wholeheartedly recommend a visit - whether as a day trip or a stopover on the way to Langebaan, Paternoster, or wherever you’re heading. The San are part of this land and deserve much more respect. A visit to !Khwa Ttu sharpens that awareness.

We returned to Cape Town, where we ended the afternoon with a snack at Big Bay - a gastronomic hotspot for kiters and surfers with a fantastic view of the Table Mountain.