The People of The CORB

The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is home to approximately 921,890 people. By 2025, this is projected to increase to more than 1.28 million people, with 62% living in Angola, 16% in Botswana and 22% in Namibia. With the commonly practised activity to sustain their livelihoods being agriculture, many cattle farmers are present within the CORB. Natural resources play a major role in the various communities livelihoods, with fishing being one of the main activities. The harvesting of reeds to weave baskets, grass, firewood and wild fruits is also commonplace and forms part of the rich natural heritage of the people inhabiting the Basin.

Angola

There are five major ethnic groups within the population of the Angolan part of the basin.

• The Umbundo occupy the upper reaches of the Cubango in fairly dense settlements (about 16% of the basin’s population) and mainly use the olonaka farming methods (traditional form of recessional agriculture practised in Angola).
• The Ganguela (nearly 50%) are mainly traditional farmers in the east, and cattle breeders in the west.
• The Lunda-Tchokwe (nearly 33%) are farmers who occupy most of the centre of the Basin.
• The Ambó live on the border with Namibia towards the west, with a strong reliance on cattle breeding. There are a few Xindonga people living on the Namibian border to the east, between the river courses of the Cubango and Cuando, who are cattle farmers. There are also small enclaves of the original, non-Bantu Khoisan populations in the province of Cuando Cubango.There are a few Xindonga people living on the Namibian border to the east, between the river courses of the Cubango and Cuando, who are cattle farmers.

Botswana

The ethnic groups in Ngamiland are dominated by:

• The Bahambukushu in the panhandle area
• The Bayeyi in the western, central, and south-eastern delta
• The Batawana in the southern and eastern parts of the delta.

There are other ethnic groups found in various parts across the Delta

Namibia

Five ethnic groups occupy the Namibian part of the basin from west to east along the river – the Kwangali, Mbunza, Shambyu, Gciriku, and Mbukushu. The first two groups, who represent almost half the population in the basin, speak Rukangwali. The Shambyu and Gciriku speak Rumanyo, and the Mbukushu speak Thimbukushu. About 33% of Rundu residents and 15% of rural inhabitants speak an Angolan language, mainly Nyemba, Ombundu, Ngangela or Chokwe. Other groups include:

• The Dxeriku, living in the panhandle
• The Bugakwe and Xanekwe – Khoisan who have traditionally practised fishing, hunting, and the collection of wild plant foods.
• The Bugakwe use both forest and riverine resources while the Xanekwe mostly focus on riverine resources.
• The Bahambukushu, Dxeriku, and Bugakwe are also present along the Cubango River in Angola.