The KhoiKhoi

Migration

Evidence from archaelogical excavations revealed the Khoikhoi migrated into South Africa from two distinct routes through Botswana: "Traveling west, skirting the Kalahari [desert] to the west coast and then down towards the Cape, and second travelling south-east out into the Highveld and then southwards to the south coast" (About.com). Tracing the roots of the Khoikhoi back even further, some archaeologists have sought to determine the earlier origins of the tribe, finding evidence that supports origin locations for as far away as Asia, and as close as northern Africa.



Distribution

The Khoikhoi originated from a larger racial group of South African nomads known collectively as the 'Khoisan' (CHNM). The latter of the umbrella term, calling themselves the San, shared many social and cultural characteristics with the Khoikhoi. Linguists merged the two cultures under the term 'Khoisan' due to the commonality of their language, the South African click (Boyce). Although the San migrated to the region nearly four thousand years before the Khoikhoi (SOS), the latter is believed to have been more populous (CHNM). The difference between the two cultural groups stem from the differences in their agricultural cultivation.


Climate

      The climate in the southwestern tip of Africa varies from desert, semiarid, humid subtropical and humid oceanic. It provided the Khoikhoi people the perfect place to raise cattle and hunt land - as well as sea - creatures. Africa's southern coastal climate also provided the tribe with a climate that limited agricultural cultivation, as periods of rainfall were short and harsh. These rains influenced the religious beliefs of the Khoikhoi, accounting for a significant portion of the structure of the tribe's beliefs. The proximity of the Khoikhoi to the coast of southern Africa allowed for quick invasion by European imperialists.