Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA)

In pictures - Dwindling band of the hunters: The last of the Hadzabe

The Hadzabe, or Hadza, are one of the last groups of indigenous hunter-gatherers in the world. They live in Tanzania around Lake Eyasi and the Serengeti Plateau and number 1000-2000, although just 300-400 still live a traditional, hunter-gatherer lifestyle. They were once thought to be related to the San of southern Africa, but modern genetic studies link them to the pygmies of west and central Africa.

The Hadzabe are superb, opportunistic hunter-gatherers - as you can see in this remarkable series of photographs by Matthew Oldfield. They hunt large and small animals and birds, and collect honey, fruit, tubers and berries for food. They also use a wide variety of plant species for medicinal purposes. But the future of the Hadzabe is very uncertain.

Their existence is threatened by land encroachment by farmers and herders, lack of game to hunt, diseases including TB and HIV and AIDS, and substance abuse.