What are izithakazelo, and why do they matter?
If you have ever been at a South African wedding, funeral or family gathering and heard someone greeted not by
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Clan name, surname, praise name, totem: the difference
People often use “clan name”, “surname”, “praise name” and “totem” as if they mean the same thing. In South African
home page, Zulu people
When clan praises are used: lobola, weddings, funerals
Clan praises are not museum pieces. They are used, out loud, at almost every important family occasion in South Africa.
home page, Venda People
Totems in Southern African cultures, explained
Across much of southern Africa, ask someone which clan they belong to and the answer may be an animal: “We
Khoi and San, home page
Where South Africa’s peoples came from: a migration timeline
Every clan history on this site sits inside a much longer story: how people came to live in southern Africa
home page, Khoi and San, Ndebele People, Setswana, Shangana Tsonga, Sotho, Venda People, Xhosa, Zulu people
How to trace your clan name and izithakazelo
Many South Africans know their surname but not their clan name, praises or totem. If that is you – because
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South African Idioms and Their Meanings (Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Tsonga)
Across South Africa’s languages, proverbs (izaga in isiZulu, amaqhalo in isiXhosa, maele in Sesotho, diane in Setswana, swivuriso in
Venda People
Venda People (Vhavenda)
Who are the Vhavenda? The Vhavenda (singular Muvenda) are a Bantu-speaking people living mainly in the far north of South
Khoi and San
The Khoi and San People of South Africa: The Oldest Storytellers of the Earth
Before pyramids rose from desert sands, before empires carved their names into stone, the Khoi and San were already walking
Ndebele People
Discover the Rich Culture of the Ndebele People of South Africa: Clan Names, Proverbs, Totems & More
🎨 The Bold Beadwork of a Nation: Dive Into the Ndebele World Have you ever stood before a brightly painted