The Khoi People of Southern Africa

The Khoi (Khoikhoi) are indigenous to Southern Africa, historically centered in the Cape Colony (today's Western Cape, South Africa, and parts of Namibia). Key traits:

• Language: Khoe languages (Khoisan family) with distinctive click consonants.
• Pastoralism: Herded cattle and sheep; seasonal migration for grazing.
• Social Structure: Clan-based with chiefs; trade and occasional conflict with neighbors.
• Beliefs: Supreme creator, nature reverence, rituals honoring deities.
• Trade: Long-distance exchange of livestock, hides for beads, metal, crops.
• Rock Art: Renowned paintings/engravings depicting hunts, rituals, daily life in caves across the region.

Colonization caused land loss and cultural disruption, but heritage endures in modern communities.