Shebeen

Booking.com

‘Shebeen’ is an Irish name (Irish: síbín) and made its way to South African and then to Namibia. It was originally an illegal bar where taxable alcoholic drinks were sold and consumed without a licence.

(A prime example of a Shebeen-style restaurant and bar can be found at Etosha Safari Camp in Namibia and all the photos on this page were taken there.) 

A short History of the Shebeen in Southern Africa

In South Africa under the apartheid law, ‘people of colour’ were not allowed into ‘white’ bars, so private taprooms were established in townships on the outskirts of the cities.

Home brewed beer and various spirits were served, then a few meals were added next, together with music and dancing, which helped to bring in extra income.

These illegal bars and taverns were colorfully decorated and furnished with various recycled items, like car tyres or anything witty and humorous.

Chair made from tires!

Posters with political messages were stuck on the wall and these bars were often raided by police and even shut down because they were seen as meeting places of the anti-apartheid activists. 

Many of the patrons and owners were also arrested by the police.

When the former German colony of South West Africa became a South African mandate in 1920, shebeens found their way into the South West Africa (Namibia) as well. In the north they were and still are run mainly by women, whose husbands work in the mines or nearby towns.

Rural Africa has an historic tradition of beer brewing and customarily, this was a woman's job. To earn an income, many women turned to their former skills as beer-brewers and these women became known as 'shebeen queens'.

In 1969 when the alcohol ban was relaxed and ‘blacks’ were also allowed to obtain liquor licences, legal bars started to pop up, but at the same time a number of illicit bars also increased. 

After independence in 1990 there was another change: the expansion of the middle and upper class people resulted in more elegant bars being established and most of the shebeens in the townships and in the north of the country became bars frequented by the poorer class.

Gondwana Collection is offering their guests an opportunity to experience this creativity and vibe while preserving the memory of these illegal bars at the Etosha Safari Camp, situated just a few kilometers from Etosha’s Andersson Gate.


Return from Shebeen to Why African Safaris page




New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Please leave us a comment in the box below.


To make a safari rental booking in South Africa, Botswana or Namibia click here


"It's 768 pages of the most amazing information. It consists of, well, everything really. Photography info...area info...hidden roads..special places....what they have seen almost road by road. Where to stay just outside the Park...camp information. It takes quite a lot to impress me but I really feel that this book, which was 7 years in the making, is exceptional."            - Janey Coetzee, founder of CAROK (Camps and Roads of Kruger)  South Africa

"Having a passion for the region itself and having to know about all dynamics, water holes and ideal roads for a period of 6 years - I wish I had this guide on my first trip already!" - Morkel Erasmus, Secunda, South Africa

"Mario and Jenny take you to places that are not always visited, and their descriptions of the more remote camps will allow you to make an informed decision without wasting time and money"  -  Bob & Sherry Shepardson, DeBary, Florida, USA

"Your time and money are valuable and the information in this book will help you save both."         - Don Stilton, Florida, USA

"I highly recommend the book to anyone visiting Etosha National Park to photograph the animals - or anyone considering an African photography safari in the future." - Anne Darling, Cognac, France

"As a photographer and someone who has visited and taken photographs in the Pilanesberg National Park, I can safely say that with the knowledge gained from this eBook, your experiences and photographs will be much more memorable." - Alastair Stewart, BC, Canada

"This work is so much more than an eBook, because it is also a guide, a tutorial, an inspiration and a must-have for anyone interested in wildlife photography"  - Findtripinfo.com, USA

Booking.com

Manyeleti Big Cat Safari

Photo Safaris on a   Private Vehicle - just You, the guide & the animals!