The Ju/'hoansi, the second-largest group of San people in Namibia, have inhabited the Nyae Nyae area for thousands of years, establishing themselves as one of the oldest Indigenous groups in Africa. Their traditional lifestyle, rooted in hunting and gathering in the Kalahari region, reflects a deep connection to the land. Since ancient times, the Ju/’hoansi San have shown a profound concern for the sustainable use of natural resources. They are renowned for their practice of living alongside wildlife and taking only what they require, thereby ensuring that resources remain available for other species and for future generations.

Many of the decisions taken by the Ju/’hoansi traditionally were inextricably linked to land, the resources found on the land, and finding equitable, mutually acceptable ways of ordering access to these resources. In addition, the Ju/’hoansi had well defined family links to these resource areas, which they called n!oresi. These n!oresi were “managed” by a n!ore kxao, which translates as n!ore owner or steward. Such ownership or right could not be sold or given away, and was passed on through the family by the parents.

In 1998, the Nyae Nyae Conservancy was officially recognized as one of Namibia's first communal conservancies. The conservancy currently plays a vital role for wildlife conservation. This includes monitoring conducted through daily patrols by community game guards, annual transect and full moon game counts, fire management, adaptive management and other Community Based Natural Resource Management measures. Livelihood initiatives in the conservancy include the sustainable harvesting and sales of Devil's Claw, G!unku crafts involving production and market development, ecological gardening, cooking and food preservation, poultry farming, seed production, tree plantation, and water management. The conservancy is also involved in facilitating wildlife research and conservation activities (including with Rhino, large carnivores, wild dogs and pangolins), trophy hunting and tourism, as part of its multifaceted approach to conservation and community development.