The presence of the
Namaqua ethnic group is widely felt all over South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The
Namaqua ethnic groups of Botswana
widely speak the Nama language. The Nama language belongs to the Khoe-Kwadi language family. The Nama group is in fact the largest group of the Khoi-Khoi people. This ethnic group of people used to live in the areas around the Orange River in the northern part of South Africa and southern Namibia. The colonial rulers referred them as Hottentots. The Namaqua ethnic group of people living in Botswana used to practice the system of colonial ownership of land. Poetry, music and story telling are the important features of the Namaqua ethnic group. Thus it can be said that this ethnic group had a rich cultural heritage. The traditional values are given equal importance till the present day.
Praise poetry, proverbs, folk tales and traditional music formed the core of the enriched culture of the Namaqua people. The various items like mats, leather works, musical instruments, clay pots and jewellery, made by the Namaqua people, deserve great attention. Apart from this, the costumes worn by the Namaqua people depict the Victorian traditional fashion. This fashion statement regarding the dressing style was introduced by the missionaries in the 1800s.
