Pastoral Ecologies: A Nama-Centred Approach to Sustainable Tourism
Supervisor: Abrie Vermeulen
Site Location: Richtersveld, Northern Cape
Building Programme: Cabins and a Conservation Hub (Mixed use base camp)
Key words: pastoralism, cultural preservation, sustainable tourism, ecological regeneration, conservation hub
Abstract
The Richtersveld is located on the border between South Africa and Namibia at the westernmost point of the Orange River. The Richtersveld has two main sections, which are the Richtersveld National Park, owned by SANParks and not formally fenced off, and the adjacent Richtersveld UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Richtersveld is home to the Nama people, who are descendants of the San people and primarily reside in Namibia, although there is a small population in South Africa. They are one of South Africa’s last remaining pastoralist communities and operate on a contractual basis with the National Park. The Nama community relies heavily on the land and vegetation due to their semi-nomadic lifestyle and dependence on livestock.
The Nama community faces significant socio-economic challenges, such as poverty, language loss, and cultural practice loss due to their remote location. Succulent poaching and rising temperatures in the region increase the vulnerability of unique ecosystems, leading to the extinction of endangered plant species and a significant reduction in biodiversity available for livestock feed. In order to promote stewardship among the Nama people and preserve the area's distinctive biodiversity and cultural customs, the project suggests creating a community-led cultural tourism hub.
The proposed project aims to integrate the following programmes that support the unique landscape and vegetation, as well as benefit visitors and the local Nama community. These programmes include a guided hiking route with ecocabins, a conservation hub with plant nurseries, ethnobotanical gardens, and veterinary services.
The two primary clients for the proposal are the Nama people and the Richtersveld National Park, with the end-users of the programmes being tourists, researchers, and the local Nama community. The interventions aim to address the urgent need for economic resilience, cultural preservation, and environmental regeneration by positioning the Nama as custodians and direct beneficiaries of tourism development.
The design is rooted in contextual construction materials and techniques, focusing on local labour and materials for optimal cultural integration and ecological harmony. The design concept embraces the interdependence of culture, landscape, and ecology by framing the built environment as a facilitator of human–nature coexistence.
