Tribes of South Africa: Meet the Ndebele People
By Jordan Knoll
With eleven official languages, South Africa is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world. In 1994, Archbishop Desmond Tutu coined the phrase “rainbow nation” to describe South Africa’s unique multicultural makeup. Needless to say, the phrase stuck and it serves as an excellent metaphor for travelers to discover the many diverse peoples of South Africa.
Origins and Culture of the Ndebele
The Ndebele are part of a larger tribe called the Nguni, which include the Zulu, the Xhosa, and the Swazi. Collectively, the Nguni make up about two thirds of the Black population of South Africa, with the Ndebele population estimated at over 700,000 people.
There are three main groups of Ndebele people, Southern, Northern and the Ndebele of Zimbabwe. The Ndebele of Zimbabwe speak a distinct language from the Southern and Northern groups, both of which reside in South Africa.
The Ndebele people in South Africa trace their heritage back to Chief Muzi, who, about 400 years ago, migrated his tribe from what is present day KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng—both provinces in South Africa. To this day, the Ndebele live primarily in the Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa.
Ndebele Structure. Photo credit: Jerome Bon on Flickr.
A traditional Ndebele village is made up of several individual family units called umuzi. Each umuzi consists of a head of the family (umnumzana), his wife and his children. As the children themselves grow and become married, they establish their own umuzi in the community of their birth, which in turn grows the village.
Fashion and Art of the Ndebele
Ndebele Woman with Brass Rings. Photo credit: South Africa Tourism
Ndebele women express their status in their community through art and fashion. Most notable is the colourful geometric patterns that the women paint on the exterior of their homes. This skill is passed from mother to daughter and is done by hand without the aid of squares or rulers. While the entire exterior of the house is painted, the most intricate and colourful designs are saved for the front of the house.
These colourful patterns can also be found in the women’s fashion. After an Ndebele woman marries, her fashion and accessories become more colorful and extravagant, reflecting her growing status in the community. Women wear brass rings—called idzila—around their arms, legs and neck after they are married. The rings symbolize a woman’s faithfulness to her husband and are believed to have strong ritual powers.
Esther Mahlangu's Painted BMV. Photo credit: Stainu at English Wikipedia.
The Ndebele’s distinctive designs have gone on to influence designers the world over. French footwear designer Christian Louboutin, for instance, designed a pair of stilettos using motifs from Ndebele culture. Esther Mahlangu, an internationally recognized Ndebele artist, has had her work commissioned by BMV and South African Airways. In 1991, she pained a BMW 525i in the traditional style of Ndebele mural work.
Experience Ndebele Culture
When you are planning your next trip to South Africa, ask your Africa Specialist for more information on how you can include a cultural experience on your vacation.