Katrina Esau, affectionately known as Ouma Katrina, is a South African cultural icon dedicated to preserving the N|uu language, one of the world’s oldest and most endangered tongues. Born in 1933 in Upington, Northern Cape, she is recognized as the last fluent speaker of N|uu, a language of the San people that nearly disappeared due to historical marginalization during colonialism and apartheid. In the early 2000s, Ouma Katrina began teaching N|uu to local children, establishing a school in her backyard to pass on the language and cultural heritage of the San community. Her work has been instrumental in reviving interest in N|uu among younger generations. Her dedication has earned her national recognition: in 2014, she received the Order of the Baobab in Silver from the South African government for her contributions to language preservation. In 2023, the University of Cape Town awarded her an honorary Doctor of Literature degree, coinciding with the launch of a N|uu dictionary—a major step in documenting the language. She is also the author of !Qhoi n|a Tjhoi, the first-ever children’s book written in the N|uu language.