Our Villages

The Zulu are descended from the Nguni people, who lived in central or east Africa – a mystical land called Embo, according to the tribal storytellers. During the 16th and 17th centuries the Nguni moved south, and a small group settled in the fertile valleys of Zululand. One of the settlers was Malandela, whose wife Nozinja bore him two sons, the second of which was named Zulu (Heaven). He was, by all accounts, a spirited and determined young man, and his marriage signalled the beginning of a new clan, with all their descendnts proudly perpetuating the name of Zulu. 

It was the emergence of the warrior King Shaka that united the amaZulu, forging feuding farmers and cattle herders into a proud and powerful nation. 

A popular souvenir for visitors is Zulu beadwork. One of the most fascinating manifestations of this traditional craft is its unique language. Every colour has a different meaning and a Zulu women can weave a message of love, grief, jealousy, poverty or uncertainty into her patterned creation. Young Zulu girls, in particular, use the vocabulary of the beads to send sweet (or bitter) thoughts to their loved ones. The military influence of the Shaka regime is reflected in demonstrations of stick fighting (umshiza), with which the male teenagers and men settle their personal differences in a public duel; while a spirit healer (sangoma) plays a respected and meaningful role in the life of a Zulu community by using roots, herbs, bark, snake skins and dried animal parts to reveal the past, predict the future and cure ailments. 

Dancing and singing is very much a part of the lifestyle of the Zulu people, and each dance formation or movement symbolizes an event or happening within the clan. There is the rhythmical dance of the smal shield, the fiery motivation body movements of the hunting dance, the symbolizing of the tidal ebb and flow in the Umbhekuzo, the snakelike motion of the umchwayo and the challenging war dance /umghubha) with traditional shield and spear. Also captivating for visitors is the opportunity to witness the disciplined and dignified social structure of a Zulu homestead (umuzi). Customs pertaining to food and the brewing of beer, ancestoral worship and places of burial, the dress code for men, women and children, the trole of the traditional healer (inyanga), the importance of a man’s cattle, the system of compensating a father for the loss of his daughter in marriage (lobola), courtship, witchcraft and superstitions are still observed.

Venda culture is similarly eclectic; it appears to have incorporated a variety of East African, Central African, Nguni, and Sotho characteristics. For example, the Vendaforbid the consumption of pork, a prohibition that is common along the East African coast. They practice male circumcision, which is common among many Sotho, but not among most Nguni peoples.

Early Venda social organization consisted of small kinship groups, often dispersed among several households. These were organized into chiefdoms, and some were ruled by chiefly dynasties in the eighteenth century. Smaller chiefdoms often served as vassal states to larger and stronger chiefdoms, but they were neither entirely incorporated into them nor administered directly by a paramount chief. Venda traditional religious beliefs, like other aspects of culture, appear to have combined elements from several neighboring religious systems and Christianity. The homeland of Venda became nominally independent in 1979 but was not recognized by any country except South Africa . Unlike other homelands, Venda actually drew most of the 700,000 people assigned to live there. Its economy depended on agriculture and small industry, and coal mining began in the late 1980s. Nearly 70 percent of the men worked elsewhere in South Africa , however, and at least 40 percent of the homeland’s income was migrant labor wages. Facing economic collapse, Venda authorities applied for readmission into South Africa in 1991. Their petition was essentially overtaken by the political negotiations and constitutional reforms of the early 1990s, which led to the dissolution of the homelands in 1994.

By the nineteenth century, several Tswana groups were politically independent, loosely affiliated chiefdoms that clashed repeatedly with Afrikaner farmers who claimed land in the northern Transvaal. In the late nineteenth century, Afrikaner and British officials seized almost all Tswana territory, dividing it among the Cape Colony, Afrikaner republics, and British territories. In 1910, when the Cape and the Transvaal were incorporated into the Union of South Africa, the Tswana chiefs lost most of their remaining power, and the Tswana people were forced to pay taxes to the British Crown. They gradually turned to migrant labor, especially in the mines, for their livelihood. 

Tswana culture is similar to that of the related Sotho peoples, although some Tswana chiefdoms were more highly stratified than those of other Sotho or the Nguni. Tswana culture was distinguished for its complex legal system, involving a hierarchy of courts and mediators, and harsh punishments for those found guilty of crimes. Tswana farmers often formed close patron-client relationships with nearby Khoisan-speaking hunters and herdsmen; the Tswana generally received meat and animal pelts in return for cattle and, sometimes, dogs for herding cattle. 

Bophuthatswana was declared “independent” in 1977, although no country other than South Africa recognized its independence. The homeland consisted primarily of seven disconnected enclaves near, or adjacent to, the border between South Africa and Botswana. Efforts to consolidate the territory and its population continued throughout the 1980s, as successive small land areas outside Bophuthatswana were incorporated into the homeland. Its population of about 1.8 million in the late 1980s was estimated to be 70 percent Tswana peoples; the remainder were other Sotho peoples, as well as Xhosa, Zulu, and Shangaan. Another 1.5 million BaTswana lived elsewhere in South Africa. 

Bophuthatswana’s residents were overwhelmingly poor, despite the area’s rich mineral wealth. Wages in the homeland’s industrial sector were lower than those in South Africa, and most workers traveled to jobs outside the homeland each day. The poverty of homeland residents was especially evident in comparison with the world’s wealthy tourists who visited Sun City, a gambling resort in Bophuthatswana. 

The non-Tswana portion of the homeland population was denied the right to vote in local elections in 1987, and violence ensued. Further unrest erupted in early 1988, when members of the Botswana Defence Force tried to oust the unpopular homeland president, Lucas Mangope. Escalating violence after that led to the imposition of states of emergency and government crackdowns against ANC supporters in Bophuthatswana, who were often involved in anti-Mangope demonstrations. Mangope was ousted just before the April 1994 elections, and the homeland.

The Pedi (or **Bapedi**) are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group primarily located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, although they are also found in parts of Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Mozambique. They are part of the larger **Nguni** language group, which includes Zulu, Xhosa, and Swazi. The Pedi people have a rich and vibrant culture with distinct traditions, values, art, and customs that have been passed down through generations.

The Pedi speak  “Sepedi” , also known as “Northern Sotho”, a language in the Sotho-Tswana branch of the Bantu language family.

Sepedi is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages and is predominantly spoken in the Limpopo Province. The language plays a central role in maintaining cultural identity, oral traditions, and community ties.

The Pedi traditionally have a chiefdom system, with a chief (kgoshigadi) or king (kgosi) being the head of the community or kingdom. The role of the chief is deeply respected, and the position is typically hereditary.

Society is organized into extended families and clans, and people belong to different lineages or “moetlo”, each associated with a totem animal or symbol, which is considered sacred.

The Pedi were historically known for their kingdoms or chiefdoms, with the “Pedi kingdom” being one of the most prominent states in pre-colonial South Africa. The kingdom was established in the 17th century under the leadership of their king, “Sekhukhune I”, who fought against colonial forces.

 During the colonial period, the Pedi people experienced land dispossession, forced labour, and suppression of their cultural practices, like many other African groups. However, they have continued to assert their cultural identity in the face of adversity.

The Tsonga people are a Bantu ethnic group primarily found in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, Mozambique, Eswatini (Swaziland), and parts of Zimbabwe. They are known for their rich cultural traditions, which are deeply rooted in community life, spiritual practices, oral history, art, and social organization. The Tsonga culture is a vibrant and dynamic blend of ancient customs and modern influences, and the people maintain a strong sense of identity and pride in their heritage.

The Tsonga language, also known as Xitsonga, belongs to the Bantu language family and is spoken by approximately 4 to 5 million people across southern Africa.

In South Africa, Xitsonga is one of the country’s 11 official languages, and it is also spoken in parts of Mozambique and Eswatini.

The language has several dialects, depending on the region, such as Shangani, Hlanganu, and Ndau.