The Southern Ndebele (amaNdebele) are a Nguni people of South Africa’s Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces, best known internationally for their geometric painted houses and their beadwork. They speak isiNdebele (also called Southern Transvaal Ndebele), one of South Africa’s twelve official languages. They are distinct from the Northern Ndebele (Matabele) of Zimbabwe, who descend from Mzilikazi’s Khumalo-led kingdom.
Origins
Southern Ndebele tradition traces the nation to Musi, a chief who led his followers away from the main Nguni body in KwaZulu-Natal and settled near present-day Pretoria, some centuries ago. After Musi’s death his sons quarrelled over the succession, and the nation split into two enduring branches:
- Manala – the senior line, remaining nearer Pretoria.
- Ndzundza – who moved east towards the Steelpoort and KwaMhlanga areas and became the larger and more militarily prominent group.
Living among Sotho-speaking (Pedi) neighbours, the Southern Ndebele absorbed Sotho influences into their language and customs while keeping a strong separate identity – one that came to be expressed visually.
The Mapoch war and its aftermath
Under King Nyabela, the Ndzundza fought the South African Republic (Transvaal) in the Mapoch War of 1882-83. After a long siege of the stronghold at KoNomtjharhelo, Nyabela surrendered; the Ndzundza were dispossessed of their land and indentured as labourers to Boer farms for five years, and the kingdom’s territory was broken up. The elaborate wall painting and beadwork traditions for which the Ndebele are now famous developed and spread strongly in this period and after – an assertion of identity and continuity in the face of dispossession. The artist Esther Mahlangu has brought this art form to international galleries and, famously, to a BMW Art Car.
Clan names
Southern Ndebele clan names (iinanzelo / izithakazelo) include:
| Clan name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Skhosana (Manala royal), Mahlangu (Ndzundza royal) | The two principal royal surnames. |
| Mabhena, Mabena | Two distinct clans with similar-sounding names. |
| Mthombeni, Mtsweni (Msiza), Masombuka, Mahlangu, Skosana | Widespread Ndebele surnames of Mpumalanga. |
| Mthimunye, Ndala, Sibanyoni, Jiyane, Dludlu | Established clans of the Ndzundza and Manala areas. |
| Nkosi, Khoza, Zwane, Shongwe, Hlatshwayo | Shared with the Swazi and Zulu. |
We are adding dedicated pages for the major Ndebele clans (Mahlangu, Skhosana, Mabhena, Mthombeni and others).
Language and culture
isiNdebele is a Nguni language heavily influenced by Sepedi. Ndebele culture is known for ukwela (male initiation, held every few years), the isirholwani and idzila neck and arm rings, the linga koba (“long tears”) beaded headpiece worn by married women, and the mural art traditionally painted by women on the homestead walls.
Related peoples
The Southern Ndebele are Nguni and closely related to the Swazi and Zulu. They should not be confused with the Northern Ndebele / Matabele of Zimbabwe (a nineteenth-century offshoot of the Zulu world under Mzilikazi Khumalo) or with the small Northern Transvaal Ndebele (BaTlokwa / Gegana) groups of Limpopo, who are now largely Sotho-speaking.
Sources and further reading
- Peter Delius, The Ndzundza Ndebele: Indenture and the Making of Ethnic Identity (in Holding Their Ground, 1989).
- Diane Levy and others, published studies of Ndebele mural art and beadwork.
- W. F. van der Merwe and isiNdebele language commission materials.
Help us improve this page. If your clan is amaNdebele – Ndzundza or Manala – and you can share izithakazelo and history, send us a WhatsApp on 065 138 8213 or use our contact page. We credit contributors who wish to be named.