A San Experience

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