The Twe live in the semi-arid, mountainous Kunene River region in northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola. Men collect honey and hunt, women do most of the foraging, and both are involved in rainy-season horticulture. Subsistence is supplemented by sale of craft goods, some goat ownership, and, in Namibia, recent government subsidy. The Twe live in stable residence communities but often spend the dry season at one or more seasonal camps to collect food in the mountains.

Layne Vashro is the primary researcher at the Twe site. He has spent two field seasons with the Namibian Twe and has extensive data on historical and current residential mobility plus background information on economics, demography, and mating and marriage.