The Nama people originally lived around the Orange River in Southern Namibia and Northern South Africa in the mid-19th century. Nama, also known as Namaqua, are any member of people of Southern Namibia who constitute by far the largest Khoekhoe ethnic group. They represent about one-eighth of the population of Namibia and there are other groups in South Africa and Botswana. Their total population is approximately 1,500 in Botswana. They speak a Khoekhoe language notable for its great number of click sounds.
The Nama people in Botswana stay in the Western part of the country and are mostly found in the Kgalagadi District, with a significant number of them found in Tsabong and Lokgwabe. Currently the Nama in Tsabong are led by Captain Piet F. Kaarze, while those in Lokgwabe are led by Captain Charles Gert Cooper, great grandson to the fallen hero, Captain Simon Gomxab Cooper, who took over the reins in 2004 after his late father Captain Gert Cooper successfully led his people from the 1960s.
