South Africa: Shangaan People

One afternoon while in Sabi Sabi we enjoyed visiting a local community of the Shangaan people. Many of the residents work for the game reserve, and there seems to be a vibrant and mutually supportive relationship. We enjoyed a visit to a preschool (300 children, ages 1 to 5, the curriculum focuses on literacy, math skills, language, and life skills. Very friendly, and more than happy to entertain us with some songs and big smiles. We visited a traditional African healer, and also a community center, where we enjoyed watching, and then participating in, some African dances. Although the villagers’ circumstances are very modest by our standard of living, the whole community seemed to me to have a rather optimistic feel, with job and career opportunities available, water supplies every 200 yards along the main road, and a focus on educating the children. Interestingly, our guide also mentioned a significant increase in the number of women seeking school and jobs, and a commensurate decrease in family sizes.