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# A San Experience
- URL: https://howardkinsman.com/a-san-experience/
- Published: 2026-08-15T11:25:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-15T14:04:37.000Z
- Author: Howard Kinsman
- Tags: Travel, #no-homepage

One of the Western Cape's best kept secrets actually lies about 75km  
north of Cape Town, close to Yzerfontein, on a hillside just off the  
R27 West Coast road. !khwa ttu, which means “water-pan”  
in /Xam, is an oasis of peace just outside the city. It is pronounced  
almost phonetically but with the ‘!’ representing a  
click, one of five clicks in the various San languages. !khwattu is a product of a project set up by the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) in 1998, assisted by the South African San Institute (SASI), to promote the empowerment of the San people. A Swiss anthropologist, Irene Staehelin, bought the farm that is now !khwa ttu in 1999 and set up the UBUNTU foundation  
which funded much of the site renovation.  
The San, also commonly known as Bushmen, have suffered greatly since the  
colonization of South Africa, and this hasn't much abated with the  
advent of democracy. The farm presents a means of education and  
employment for otherwise very disadvantaged people and a great  
tourist attraction for both locals and foreign visitors alike.  
A visit to !khwa ttu can be an eye opener to the uninitiated. The  
staff, themselves all San, are as professional as anyone could  
possibly hope for, and are very keen to ensure visitors leave  
satisfied and more importantly, wiser.  
Sitting on 850 ha of land, !khwa ttu provides some moderate hiking  
opportunities with the chance of spotting Eland, Springbok, Zebra and  
Bontebok; guided by a San tracker you will be shown the plants and  
animals of the reserve. A tractor and trailer are also available if  
walking does not appeal to you.

The main, beautifully made, and  
very new, building consists of a craft shop, selling San related  
books and handmade crafts; a recently opened restaurant, serving a  
wide range of light lunches, which is available for functions; and a  
conference centre. Leandra Eiman, pictured, originally from the  
Kalahari, is the Arts and Crafts Shop Manager. When asked why she  
likes working at !khwa ttu Leandra replied, “I  
like working here because it's a San owned project and provides an  
opportunity to improve my English. It's a learning experience for me  
as it is the first time that I've been involved in tourism.”  
Nearby is the very well laid out photo-gallery displaying photographs of San  
people and San rock art which serve to provide a deeper insight into  
a fascinating culture. An audio visual hall is attached allowing the  
opportunity to watch a documentary about San languages, history and  
beliefs. There is also both a preschool and a primary school on the  
premises, for the employee's children, ensuring that empowerment is  
sustainable.  
Accommodation, if needed, is available and comes in a variety of forms. Bush Cottage is as charming as its name sounds, and lies on the opposite side of  
the R27 to the main building in wild surroundings. During my stay at  
Bush Cottage I awoke to my daughters insistent, “Daddy! Daddy!  
Look!” An ostrich was feeding directly outside the cottage  
window. Bush Cottage, which sleeps four, is R300 for the cottage per  
night. There is no electricity but it does have hot water and a very  
refreshing, San built, outdoor shower.  
Guest House, a renovated farm  
cottage (R450), which sleeps six, is also available. For the more  
adventurous there is also a campsite, in the same area as Bush  
Cottage, with both open plots and a permanently fixed tent. Camping  
costs R30 per person. Booking for all the accommodation is essential.  
In short, if you are in the vicinity of Cape Town and want a brief  
respite from the city, with its usual summertime crowds, and also  
want to witness the social elevation of, and learn about, a very  
interesting group of people then !khwa ttu should be firmly on your  
list of places to visit. More  
information can be found atwww.khwattu.org  
or by phoning 022 492 2998.

Howard Kinsman 2007