In South Africa’s far north-west, the Richtersveld is not simply a mountain desert to cross or photograph. The UNESCO-listed Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape covers 160,000 hectares of rugged country where Nama pastoral traditions and the succulent Karoo ecosystem remain closely connected. Its cultural importance comes from a way of life adapted to scarce water and seasonal change, not from a single monument or a purpose-built tourist attraction.
The Nama have used seasonal movement with livestock for generations, moving between grazing grounds and stock posts as conditions change. UNESCO says these patterns may have persisted for as much as two millennia. The site is notable as one of the few places in southern Africa where transhumant pastoralism is still practised. Grazing here is part of a living relationship with the land, and the cultural landscape is communally owned and managed.