N!xau
Encyclopedia
Nǃxau ǂToma was a Namibia
n bush
farmer
and actor who was made famous by his roles in the 1980 movie The Gods Must Be Crazy
and its sequels, in which he played the Kalahari
Bushman
Xixo. The Namibian
called him "Namibia's most famous actor".
. He spoke Juǀʼhoan, Otjiherero and Tswana
fluently, as well as some Afrikaans
. He did not know his own exact age, and before his appearance in the films he had little experience of typical "modern" living: he had only ever seen three white people before being cast and was unaware of the value of paper money
, allowing (according to legend) his first earnings for The Gods Must Be Crazy to literally blow away in the wind.
He earned only a few hundred dollars for his work in The Gods Must Be Crazy, but by the time of the first sequel he was educated about the purpose and value of money within the "civilized world" and negotiated a much larger sum for the film. Regardless, he did come from a culture that did not value the material things that money could buy and subsequently had never before learned money management skills, "he did not have the skills to manage his income," although he used some of it to build a brick house with running water and electricity for his family.
In addition to The Gods Must Be Crazy, N!xau starred in a series of sequels: The Gods Must Be Crazy II
, Crazy Safari, Crazy Hong Kong and The Gods Must Be Funny in China. After his film career ended, he returned to Namibia, where he farmed maize
, pumpkin
s and beans and kept several head of cattle
(but no more than twenty at a time because, according to The Independent
, without the complex farming systems of the "modern world," he had trouble keeping track of more). The local daily New Era (Namibia)
stated that he simply could not count farther than twenty.
On 1 July 2003, he died from multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis
while he was hunting guinea fowl. According to official estimates he was about 59 years old at the time. He was buried on 12 July in a semi-traditional ceremony
at Tsumkwe
, next to the grave
of his second wife. He was survived by six children.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and actor who was made famous by his roles in the 1980 movie The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a 1980 film, written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is the first in The Gods Must Be Crazy series of films. Set in Botswana and South Africa, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond...
and its sequels, in which he played the Kalahari
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
Bushman
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
Xixo. The Namibian
The Namibian
The Namibian is a the largest daily newspaper in Namibia. It publishes in English and Oshiwambo.-History:It was established by Gwen Lister in 1985 as a weekly newspaper reliant on support of donors, which aimed to promote Namibian independence from South Africa. Its first edition appeared on 30...
called him "Namibia's most famous actor".
Biography
N!xau was a member of the San tribe, commonly known as BushmenBushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
. He spoke Juǀʼhoan, Otjiherero and Tswana
Tswana language
Tswana or Setswana is a language spoken in Southern Africa by about 4.5 million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , and is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi...
fluently, as well as some Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. He did not know his own exact age, and before his appearance in the films he had little experience of typical "modern" living: he had only ever seen three white people before being cast and was unaware of the value of paper money
Paper Money
Paper Money is the second album by the band Montrose. It was released in 1974 and was the band's last album to feature Sammy Hagar as lead vocalist.-History:...
, allowing (according to legend) his first earnings for The Gods Must Be Crazy to literally blow away in the wind.
He earned only a few hundred dollars for his work in The Gods Must Be Crazy, but by the time of the first sequel he was educated about the purpose and value of money within the "civilized world" and negotiated a much larger sum for the film. Regardless, he did come from a culture that did not value the material things that money could buy and subsequently had never before learned money management skills, "he did not have the skills to manage his income," although he used some of it to build a brick house with running water and electricity for his family.
In addition to The Gods Must Be Crazy, N!xau starred in a series of sequels: The Gods Must Be Crazy II
The Gods Must Be Crazy II
The Gods Must Be Crazy II is a sequel to Jamie Uys' 1980 comedy film, The Gods Must Be Crazy, and it is the second film in The Gods Must Be Crazy film series. It was made by Weintraub Entertainment Group and released by Columbia Pictures in the U.S. and released in the rest of the world by 20th...
, Crazy Safari, Crazy Hong Kong and The Gods Must Be Funny in China. After his film career ended, he returned to Namibia, where he farmed maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s and beans and kept several head of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
(but no more than twenty at a time because, according to The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, without the complex farming systems of the "modern world," he had trouble keeping track of more). The local daily New Era (Namibia)
New Era (Namibia)
The New Era is a daily national newspaper owned by the government of Namibia. The newspaper is one of four daily national newspapers in the country. It publishes in English and five indigenous languages. New Era was established in 1991 as a weekly newspaper and later was published only bi-weekly....
stated that he simply could not count farther than twenty.
On 1 July 2003, he died from multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis
Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis
Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis is defined as TB that is resistant at least to isoniazid and rifampicin , the two most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs...
while he was hunting guinea fowl. According to official estimates he was about 59 years old at the time. He was buried on 12 July in a semi-traditional ceremony
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
at Tsumkwe
Tsumkwe
Tsumkwe is a settlement in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia and the district capital of the Tsumkwe electoral constituency.-Nature and wildlife:...
, next to the grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
of his second wife. He was survived by six children.
Filmography
- The Gods Must Be CrazyThe Gods Must Be CrazyThe Gods Must Be Crazy is a 1980 film, written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is the first in The Gods Must Be Crazy series of films. Set in Botswana and South Africa, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond...
(1983) (Actor) - The Gods Must Be Crazy IIThe Gods Must Be Crazy IIThe Gods Must Be Crazy II is a sequel to Jamie Uys' 1980 comedy film, The Gods Must Be Crazy, and it is the second film in The Gods Must Be Crazy film series. It was made by Weintraub Entertainment Group and released by Columbia Pictures in the U.S. and released in the rest of the world by 20th...
(1988) (Actor) - Kwacca Strikes Back (1990) (Actor)
- Crazy Safari (1991) (Actor)
- Crazy Hong Kong (1993) (Actor)
- The Gods Must be Funny in China (1994) (Actor)
- Sekai Ururun Taizaiki (1996) (Himself)