Cuepe people are the smallest tribal group in Angola. With just 250 individuals, the tribe almost disappeared in the 1960s.
They are reputed medicine men and this activity gives them the necessary income to survive in the Curoca Desert region. Cuepe people call themselves Kwadi.
Today, the Cuepe still hunt and collect but to a lesser extent since livestock and subsistence agriculture have taken center stage. They do not have permanent houses, but each family lives in a 'sambo' (small hut made of branches) throughout the growing season until harvest time. A 'sambo' can change its place three or four times a year, depending on the grass and the water.
Cuepe society is led by a group of elderly men and it is them who decide when to mobilize families in periods of drought. The figure of the healers is very important in the Cuepe culture since they not only heal but they are also the guardians of the group's oral tradition.
Cuepe speak Herero language similar to Mucubal. The last speakers of Cuepe language passed away in 2018, but today only a few elderly women still speak the Khoi (click) language.
Photo Gallery: © Jordi Zaragozà Anglès / Angola - 2018
Extended info about Cuepe