Of song and soul : how a young man in Botswana is redefining his traditional culture in the modern world

The San are an ethnic group that are among the closest living relatives to early humans in southern Africa and have been living in present-day Botswana for at least 25,000 years. They historically lived in egalitarian, hunter-gatherer societies moving freely across the semi-arid Kalahari region with animal migrations. They have become the most marginalized ethnic group in southern Africa and have faced many modern challenges, such as loss of land and traditional practices, assimilation into dominant cultures and lack of educational and economic opportunities. Due to the San’s cultural distinctiveness, outsiders have often deemed their traditional way of life as worthy of protecting for the sake of humanity, often forcing the San to remain as “relics” of early hunter-gatherer societies. While many San themselves consider their cultural heritage as important to preserve, this has created a tug-of-war between tradition and modern, forcing the San to choose one or the other. Alfred Cg’ase Tshumu, who goes by his self-given name “Alphynho”, is a 27-year-old San living in D’kar, a community west of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, determined to move himself and his people forward while still holding onto traditional practices and indigenous knowledge passed down from elders. He is a multi-faceted person and aspiring musician, striving for upward mobility through his skills as an entrepreneur. His story illustrates the vibrancy of San culture alongside the contemporary challenges his people face