Cape Secrets is a community dedicated to exploring South African travel and history, with a special focus on pre-colonial African cultures. Our mission is to showcase the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of Africa to the world.
Our debut film is called The People of the Sun, a short dedicated to the first community in Southern Africa – the San people.
CAPE SECRETS.
The People of the Sun
‘The People of the Sun' is a stark and moving short film that brings to light the critical issues facing the San community - the indigenous people of Southern Africa - direct descendants of humanity's first peoples, and their deep ancestral connections to indigenous groups across the globe.
The film features Ouma Katrina, the last fluent speaker of N|uu, an ancient language over 20,000 years old on the brink of extinction. Her narratives are not just stories: they are a lifeline to understanding our collective human heritage. The film sharply contrasts these enduring cultures with the modern world's relentless march towards homogenisation, which threatens to erase such unique identities.
The film features acclaimed South African poet Siphokazi Jonas performing an original poem dedicated to the San people. It highlights the importance of indigenous communities and emphasises the need to include them as society progresses. The People of the Sun urges us to recognise and preserve the rich heritage and diversity that indigenous communities contribute to our world.
Ouma Katrina Esau
Ouma Katrina Esau, born in 1933 in Upington, is the last fluent speaker of N|uu, the final surviving San language in South Africa. Growing up during a time of intense marginalisation, the San people were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in 1931 when the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park was established. The formal apartheid era further institutionalised racism, and San languages, including N|uu, were banned, leading many to abandon their native tongues for Afrikaans.
N|uu was declared extinct in 1973 but was rediscovered in the late 1990s through a radio appeal that found several elderly speakers, all of whom have since passed away except for Ouma Katrina. Recognising the need to preserve her language and culture, she began teaching N|uu with her granddaughter Claudia Snyman. They established a school called ǂAqe ǁX'oqe ("Gaze at the Stars") to create written resources and educational materials for N|uu.
Despite facing significant challenges, including lack of funding and unfulfilled promises of support, Ouma Katrina's dedication has earned her recognition. She received the National Order of the Baobab in Silver in 2014 and was named queen of the Western Nǁnǂe tribe in 2015. In September, during South Africa's Heritage Month, she was honoured in the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's "Living Human Treasures" book series, which will be distributed to public libraries.
Ouma Katrina's unwavering commitment to preserving N|uu highlights the importance of indigenous languages in South Africa's diverse heritage. Her story serves as an inspiration and a testament to the resilience of indigenous cultures.
The ǂAqe ǁX'oqe School
Ouma Katrina Esau established the ǂAqe ǁX'oqe school to teach and promote the N|uu language. Her efforts include co-authoring a children's book in N|uu, titled *!Qhoi n|a Tjhoi* (Tortoise and Ostrich), with her granddaughter Claudia Snyman, who also understands the language. The school has encountered significant challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the property was vandalised, leaving it abandoned. Despite this, Ouma Katrina remains dedicated to her mission, with Claudia Snyman sharing her vision and aiming to rebuild and continue teaching N|uu.
