Nhoma Camp

Nhoma Camp is a small tented camp in Bushmanland that takes its name from the nearby Bushman village of //Nhoq'ma. The camp is run by Arno and Estelle Oosthuysen who have worked with and to the benefit of the Bushmen in this area for about 16 years.

Our view of Nhoma Camp

Nhoma Camp offers a unique and incredible experience. Visitors can participate in village life in a sensitive yet authentic way, and learn about a hunter-gatherer culture that is totally unlike our own. However, what you get out of the experience will depend on your approach to the Bushmen.

We've been sending visitors to Nhoma for about the last ten years, and we've learnt a lot. We've found that the experience can be amazing, even life-changing, if you can put your inhibitions aside. It'll work best if you’re happy to try to communicate – perhaps to use sign language and mime, to try everything that you're offered, to ask questions and to joke with the villagers. Then you'll usually find them to be very open, demonstrative and often very happy people – who often use jokes to communicate a point, and live very much in the present. Then you may come away with everlasting memories from this incredible experience.

However ... we've also found out that the Bushmen just don't understand visitors who remain aloof, nervous or stand on the sidelines. This kind of behaviour just isn't normal in their culture ... so they don't know how to deal with it. So if you come to Nhoma feeling insular, or you don't want to get involved, or interact ... then your time here could be quite disappointing.