Ema San bahlali labadzala base Ningizimu Afrika, lapho bahleli khona cishe iminyaka letinkhulungwane letimashumi lamabili. Ema San atfole kunaka ngekufundza ngebantfu kanye nemihambo nematsemba kanye nekuba semaphepheni ngekuphila kwawo kanye nelwati lwekutingela, kunotsa ngelwati lwendalo lwetitjalo ne tilwane tendzawo tase Ningizimu Afrika, kanye nemasiko abo esintfu lanotsile.
Kutsemba lobekwatiwa kakhulu iminyaka leminingi kwakukutsi lama San laku Kalahari Desert yase Botswana nase Namibia asuswa njengebantfu lababalekako kususwa kuncenye lekahle-ngemanti yase Ningizimu Afrika. Ecinisweni, lizibithi le lemfundvo yesikhatsi lesengca liveta kutsi le Kalahari seyigcwalisiwe batingeli-labahlangene sikhatsi seminyanga yetinkhulungwane.
Laba bantfu bafundzisisile ngebantfu, ngemihambo kanye nematsemba nekufundza ngetikhatsi letengcile, kufuna lokucondzile phakatsi kwebatingeli besimanje kanye nemadloti abo. Lama San, nomakunjalo, awasiwo 'incenye yalokuphilako lokwafa kwahlala emhlabatsini sikhatsi lesidze kwaze kwabalitje': njengalabanye bantfu bangagucuka ngetikhatsi tesimo. Batingeli-bekuhlangana be Kalahari namuhla bagcina tintfo letiningi temphilo yamandvulo, kepha abakasuswa emhlabeni wesimanje kanye nemnotfo wemali.