South Africa’s people belong to many nations, each with its own history, language and customs. Most – though not all – fall into a few large families that share ancestry and closely related languages. This page is the directory for the whole site: use it to find a people, and from there a clan and its izithakazelo (praise names).
A note on the word “tribe”: it is the term most people search for, so we use it here, but “people” or “nation” is more accurate. These are large societies with deep histories, not small isolated groups.
The Nguni
Cattle-keeping peoples of the eastern half of the country, speaking closely related languages (isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele) and organised around the isibongo (clan name) and its praises. Read the Nguni overview →
- Zulu – KwaZulu-Natal; the largest group in the country.
- Xhosa – the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, including the Thembu, Mpondo, Mpondomise and others.
- Swazi – Eswatini and Mpumalanga.
- Southern Ndebele – Mpumalanga and Gauteng; famous for painted houses.
- Hlubi – the Drakensberg foothills, Eastern Cape and Free State.
- Bhaca – the KwaBhaca (Mount Frere) area.
The Sotho-Tswana
Peoples of the interior Highveld and its northern escarpment, speaking Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi, and organised around the seboko (totem). Read the Sotho-Tswana overview →
- Basotho – Lesotho and the Free State; the nation built by Moshoeshoe I.
- Batswana – the North West and Botswana.
- Bapedi – Limpopo and Mpumalanga (Sekhukhuneland).
Clan pages: Bakwena · Barolong · Bafokeng – with Bahurutshe, Bakgatla, Batlokwa and more being added.
The Tsonga (Shangana-Tsonga)
Peoples of the lowveld and the Mozambican coast, speaking Xitsonga. “Shangaan” is a large sub-group formed under Soshangane’s Gaza kingdom in the nineteenth century. Read the Tsonga overview →
Clan pages: Mabunda · Xilaveko · Mhlanga – with Baloyi, Maluleke, Chauke, Mathebula and more being added.
The Venda
The Vhavenda of far northern Limpopo, speaking Tshivenda, with a history tied to Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe and the Singo migration. Read the Venda overview → · Full article →
Clan pages: Tshivhase · Mphephu · Munyi – with Ramabulana, Mphaphuli and more being added.
The Khoikhoi and San
The First Nations of southern Africa – herders (Khoikhoi: Nama, Korana, Griqua) and hunter-gatherers (San: ǃKung, ǂKhomani, ǀXam and others) – who were here for tens of thousands of years before any of the groups above. Their societies are not built on the clan-praise system, so we cover them differently. Read the Khoikhoi and San overview →
How to use this site
- Start with a people overview page (linked above) for the big picture.
- Open a clan page for the origin of the name, the full izithakazelo / iziduko / direto with each praise explained, the totem, and notable people.
- If your family’s praises differ, or a clan is missing, tell us – this site is built with community help and we credit contributors.
A clan or people missing? We are adding pages continuously. Send us a WhatsApp on 065 138 8213 or use our contact page.