Africa's Unique Indigenous People

Africa is one of the only remaining places on earth that is still home to tribes that haven’t changed their way of life for thousands of years. Indigenous tribes are much less prevalent than they were 50 or at least 100 years ago, but there are still communities scattered across the continent from the Masai tribe to the Himba tribe in Namibia. It's still possible to encounter these people on a variety of organised tours through your Tailormade African safari but you must ensure that if you participate in a venture like this that you act responsibly as you are representing a much larger, more important part of society.

The Maasai

The majority of the Masai tribe reside in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Although they can also be spotted on Zanzibar island. The Maasai are an extremely large and very colourful tribe. The tribe are semi-nomadic pastoralists who don't measure their wealth in money but in cattle. The culture of the Maasai has stayed mainly in tact due to the way that the children are brought up. From the tender age of 12, the children are sent out to live in the bush to become a Morani warrior before they are ultimately allowed to move into a camp with females of the same ages. It's not until the young warrior is married that they are able to return to their family village where they will be reinstated and as part of the family. It's not uncommon to bump into Masaai as far south as the Selous Game Reserve of Ruaha National Park, so the next time you are on a Ruaha safari keep your eyes peeled.

The Himba

The Himba tribe are natives of the North Western corner of Namibia. The Himba people are semi-nomadic pastoralists who operate out of a semi-permanent settlement and whilst the women stay and occupy the settlement throughout the year the men travel far and wide grazing their cattle. Although the vast majority of the Himba tribe choose to live away from their semi-permanent settlements, there are still a vast array of authentic family groups who still reside there. Trips to meet the Himba tribe are organised by the local lodges in the area and have received mixed reviews. Some of the fundamental problems are that many of the lodge owners convince the tribe to make curios and traditional items to sell to tourists, which makes the whole experience a little uncomfortable.

Tags: Selous Safari, Tailormade African Safari, Tailormade Zambia Safari, zanzibar holidays