A proud pastoral cattle breeding nation, the Herero people measure their wealth by the number of cattle they own. Descendants of large groups of people, who migrated southwards during the 16th century, their traditions clearly show that their origins stem from East Africa. The 100 000 Herero people in Namibia today, live in the central and eastern parts of the country.

Comprising of 99 per cent of the population of Lesotho, the Bosotho people have a strong attachment to their local villages and traditional culture is very strong. Living in southern Africa since the 5th century, the Basotho nation emerged from the negotiation skills of King Moshoeshoe I who gathered clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa.

Descended from the Nguni people, who lived in central or east Africa, The Zulu (people of heaven), are a proud nation who treasure their heritage and display an unyielding loyalty to their inkosi (traditional leader). The largest South African ethnic group, they take pride in their colourful martial history, which played a big role in shaping Southern Africa.

Herero women wear long colourful dresses with many petticoats underneath and matching hats. These outfits are regarded as proper dress for married women. The hats have three points, said to represent the horns of the cattle that they own. Children can be found wearing leather aprons when not at school and the men wear military type uniforms adorned with fur for celebrations.

A common site in the mountainous region of Lesotho, is a Basotho horseman, clad in a kobo, his traditional blanket. These blankets vary from area to area and the different patterns symbolize various aspects of family life such as manhood, fertility and weddings. Mokorotlo is Lesotho's traditional hat woven from grass and conical in shape, representing the mountains.

Traditions of the deeply spiritual Herero people is all about proper behaviour. Girls must wear dresses that fall below their knees and one cannot look into the eyes of an elder when addressing them. Their understanding is that life is a gift from the ancestors and a household should always keep the sacred fire burning to maintain a good relationship with the ancestors.

The Basotho are strongly influenced by their traditional customs and have a strong belief in the family structure with the utmost respect for their elders. Animals play a very important part in their society and the Basotho pony is their preferred mode of transport on the rocky terrain. The traditional greeting of khotso (peace) symbolizes their peaceful nature.