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PEOPLE GROUP PROFILE

The Bushmen of Namibia

The Bushmen of Namibia, numbering approximately 86,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an indigenous South African people that predates the arrival of Bantu-speaking Africans and Europeans in the region and can also be known as San, Khoisan. They are an Indigenous people, in the Khoisan people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African affinity bloc. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion - Animism. They primarily speak Northwestern !Kung.

Bushmen in Botswana photo
Photo courtesy of Joshua Project. Photo Source: Ian Beatty - Wikimedia Ian Beatty - Wikimedia Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-saharan Africa Peoples
Country: Namibia
People Cluster: Khoisan
Primary Language(s): Northwestern !Kung (vaj)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion - Animism
Population: 86,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Active CP Activity
People Group ID: PG043066

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion - Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

%
Ethnoreligion - Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Northwestern !Kung
Language Family: Kx’a

%
Northwestern !Kung Speakers

Media Resources in Northwestern !Kung:

Films:

No entries found for: Northwestern !Kung(vaj). Help build some!

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Bible Resources in Northwestern !Kung:

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

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Next steps for the Bushmen

The Bushmen are Unengaged and Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations among which there are no known efforts focused on establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Begin signifcant prayer and fasting for this group
Send cross-cultural teams to discover and research this people group
Begin gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Next steps for the Bushmen

The Bushmen are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Next steps for the Bushmen

The Bushmen are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Bushmen of Namibia

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
readLuke 1:46-47

Pray that those who are lost will recognize their need for a Savior and joyfully embrace the mercy that God offers.

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
readRomans 9:16

Pray that the merciful God who is at work in people's hearts will advance His gospel among them.

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.
readPsalm 105:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice as they remember His wonders, miracles, and perfect judgements.

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
readIsaiah 58:7

As believers cross cultures to share the good news of Christ, pray that God will sustain them and grow their faith as He gives them the compassion necessary to minister well to those in need.

Heikum, San reported in the following countries (ROP3):

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Definitions page.

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