Bushman Rock Art at Savuti. There are moments in the bush when you feel time bend—when the rustle of wind through dry grass, the outline of elephants on the horizon, and the scent of sun-baked earth seem unchanged by the centuries. One such moment happens at Gubatsa Hills in Savuti, within Botswana’s Chobe National Park, where fading ochre figures painted by the San people whisper from stone.
Savuti is better known for lions and elephants than archaeology. Yet, tucked into this raw and dramatic corner of the park, a modest cluster of rock paintings tells a deeper story—one not of tooth and claw, but of ritual, spirit, and survival. These images may not be famous. They are weathered, simple, even elusive. But they are profound—a human echo in a land now governed by wildlife.
Here’s what to expect when visiting the Bushman rock art of Savuti, and why this rare cultural site deserves more than a passing glance.
Gubatsa Hills – A Geological Anomaly in the Savanna
As you cross the open plains of Bushman Rock Art at Savuti, the land rolls flat and dry, stretching endlessly to the horizon. And then, suddenly, the Gubatsa Hills rise up—a jagged cluster of quartzite and dolerite outcrops, pushed to the surface by ancient tectonic activity. These low hills, barely more than 30 metres tall, stand in stark contrast to the surrounding Kalahari sandveld.
They are remnants of much older rock formations, exposed through millennia of erosion and movement along fault lines that also helped shape the nearby Savuti Channel. For the San people, who once roamed these plains as nomadic hunter-gatherers, these hills would have offered shelter, vantage points for tracking game and—perhaps most importantly—a spiritual canvas.
The rock art is found partway up one of the larger outcrops, in a shaded alcove where the stone surface is smooth enough for painting but protected enough from rain and sun to endure.
The San: Artists, Healers, and Keepers of Spirit
The San people, sometimes called Bushmen (though the term is increasingly avoided in favour of indigenous group names), are the original inhabitants of southern Africa. For tens of thousands of years, they lived across Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, following seasonal migrations of game and water, and maintaining a deep spiritual connection to the land.
Their rock art is some of the oldest surviving human artistic expression on Earth. Some sites, like those in the Tsodilo Hills further north, date back over 25,000 years. The paintings at Savuti are more recent—likely around 1,000 years old—but they carry the same signature: animals, human figures, and patterns of meaning connected to ritual, trance, and ancestral belief.
Painting, for the San, was never merely decorative. It was a spiritual act—often undertaken by shamans during trance dances, when the boundary between the material and spiritual worlds dissolved. The rock face became a portal. The brushstrokes were prayers.
What You’ll See – Fading Figures with Enduring Power
Reaching the rock art site involves a short but steep scramble up the rocks. The slope is uneven and can be slippery with dust, so it’s not recommended in sandals or without a guide. But the effort is richly rewarded.
On the rock surface, protected by an overhang, you’ll find a small panel of images—weathered, yes, but still discernible with time and patience.
Common motifs include:
- Elephants – Large and expressive, symbolising strength, wisdom, and spirit.
- Eland – An antelope deeply sacred to the San, associated with rainmaking and trance healing.
- Giraffes – Often seen as messengers between worlds due to their height and silent presence.
- Human figures – Possibly dancers or hunters, drawn with outstretched arms or bent knees.
- Abstract shapes and lines – These may represent movement, ritual, or spiritual energy.
Though the art is faded, you can still feel the presence behind it. Some figures almost flicker in the changing light—appearing and vanishing like thoughts in stone.
Reading the Symbols – A Spiritual Landscape
To modern eyes, the paintings may seem simple. But in San cosmology, every image carries layers of meaning.
The eland, for example, isn’t just a game species. It’s considered the most spiritually potent of all animals, used in trance ceremonies to channel healing energy. Shamans would dance for hours, sometimes days, to enter the spirit world. When successful, they might leave a mark—a painting, a symbol—to commemorate the journey.
Human-animal hybrids found at other San sites are believed to represent transformation—either of the shaman into an animal spirit or of spirit beings entering this world. In Savuti, the imagery is more grounded, more terrestrial, but the spiritual intent is still there.
Standing before the rock face, it’s easy to imagine flickering firelight, rhythmic chants, and dancers silhouetted against the walls—just as it might have been a thousand years ago.
Access and Protection, Bushman Rock Art at Savuti – Getting There Responsibly
The rock art site is located in Chobe National Park’s Savuti region, within driving distance of major camps like Savute Safari Lodge, Savuti Camp, and Ghoha Hills Lodge. Most visitors reach it as part of a guided game drive or nature walk from their lodge.
Access requires a 4×4 vehicle, and the climb to the paintings is not signposted—intentionally, to protect the site from overuse. Guides from the area know the route and can point out the safest ascent.
Tips for visiting:
- Wear good shoes with grip. The rock surface can be slippery with loose dust.
- Do not touch the paintings—oils from skin accelerate deterioration.
- Avoid visiting in the heat of the day. Early morning light is best for visibility and comfort.
- Take binoculars or a zoom lens—some details are clearer from a short distance.
- Stay quiet. The site feels sacred, and silence amplifies its power.
The site is fragile, and although it’s not under the same pressure as more famous rock art areas, it still requires care. What has lasted 1,000 years could be damaged in seconds.
A Hidden Layer to the Safari Experience
In a park known for elephant herds, lion prides, and roaring drama at the waterholes, the rock art of Savuti offers a moment of stillness. It reminds visitors that Chobe’s wildness is not just natural—it’s cultural. People have lived here. Felt awe here. Prayed, hunted,and painted here.
Most tourists drive past the Gubatsa Hills without knowing what lies tucked into the stone. But for those who take the time, the experience is unlike anything else in the park.
There’s a certain thrill in standing where a San painter once stood, brush in hand, painting the animals they knew, revered, and depended on. There’s a sense of kinship across time—a connection between today’s safari traveller and yesterday’s spiritual tracker.
Why the Savuti Rock Art Matters
The Bushman Rock Art at Savuti might not rival Tsodilo Hills in scale or fame. It might not feature the dense panels of colour seen in South Africa’s Drakensberg. But it holds its own significance.
- It’s one of the few rock art sites inside a major national park, combining wildlife conservation and cultural heritage.
- It connects modern tourism with deep human history, giving context to the land beyond the animals.
- It stands as a quiet tribute to the San people, whose stories are too often forgotten in the rush for game sightings.
In an era where the past is too easily erased, these paintings remind us: humans have always lived in relationship with nature—not above it.
Final Thoughts – A Whisper From the Ancients
The elephants move across the plains below. The wind picks up through the acacias. And on the rock, the eland remains—painted with care, weathered by time, but still watching.
To visit the Bushman rock art at Savuti is to step briefly out of your own timeline and into someone else’s. It’s a climb, a quiet moment, a connection.
In a park dominated by life in motion, this small cluster of still images offers something rare—the memory of a people who once saw the land not just as habitat, but as home, teacher, and sacred ground.
If you ever find yourself in Savuti, ask your guide to take you to the rocks. And when you get there, listen. You might just hear them speak.
Check out our other Safari Botswana blogs –
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- Visiting the Okavango Delta – What You Need to Know Before You Go
- Nxai Pan National Park – Salt, Stars and Safari Stories in the Sands
- Makgadikgadi Pans National Park – Zebra, Rivers and the Silence of the Salt
- Savuti – Wild Dogs, Lions and Rock Outcrops in Chobe’s Wild Heart
- Moremi Game Reserve – Flooded Forests, Wild Dogs and the Pulse of the Okavango
- Khwai Game Reserve – Wild Dogs, Community Conservation and the Spirit of the Delta
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