Before the black man arrived, though, another race had lived in the shadow of the Drakensberg. For how long the so-called Bushmen were sole inhabitants of the area, we do not know; neither is it certain where they came from.a They had light, yellowish-brown, wrinkled skin and were of short stature.

The Bushman’s ways were strange to the white man. The Bushmen were skilled hunters but hunted only for food, never for sport. They had a sound knowledge of plants and were careful not to upset the balance of nature. Some were accomplished poets, others were artists. The mountain caves were their homes, and they decorated the walls with the now famous Bushman paintings. Visitors to the Drakensberg can still enjoy some of this beautiful rock art. How the Bushmen mixed their durable paints is still a mystery.

When in 1837 the first white men started to settle in the area, a clash of interests became inevitable. The Bushmen did not keep cattle. In fact, they viewed all animals as there to be used by all men. But they did recognize territorial hunting rights. For strangers to hunt in their area was thus a declaration of war. The white man hunted for sport, killing off the game that was the Bushmen’s food. They retaliated by stealing the white man’s cattle. The white man responded by hunting down and destroying the Bushmen. The little men were also attacked by black tribes. As a result, the Bushmen became extinct in this region.