The Hadzabe, or Hadza, are a small group of about 1,000 to 1,500 people living around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania. A few hundred still live mainly by hunting and gathering, making them one of the last such societies in Africa.
A way of life
- Hunting: men hunt birds, baboons, antelope and other animals with bows and arrows, sometimes using poison from plants on the arrowheads.
- Gathering: women dig tubers and collect berries, baobab fruit and other plants.
- Honey: a favourite food. The Hadzabe follow the honeyguide bird, which leads them to bees’ nests, and leave it a share of the wax.
- Camps: small and simple, moved several times a year.
Language
The Hadzabe language, Hadzane, uses click sounds. It is not closely related to any other language, which suggests a very long, separate history.
Society
Hadzabe groups are small and equal, with no chiefs. Food is shared, and people have few possessions. Researchers have studied the Hadzabe to understand human diet, sleep and health.
Challenges
Farming, cattle herding and hunting by outsiders have shrunk the land and wildlife the Hadzabe depend on. In recent years, some land has been formally recognised for their use. Tourism brings income but also pressure, so visits should be small and well managed.
Visiting
A visit usually starts before dawn with a walk alongside a group of hunters. Go with a guide who works with the community and pays a fair fee. Read Lake Eyasi and the Hadzabe.
Frequently asked questions
About 1,000 to 1,500, of whom a few hundred still live mainly by hunting and gathering.
Hadzane, a language with click sounds that is not closely related to any other.
Around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania.
