African Culture
African culture guide - Southern Africa is a land of old tales, vibrant history and mystery. Kruger Park visitors can learn about local people and tribes who made their home in South Africa.
Find out more about the art, traditions and daily life of the Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu people of South Africa.
Although the origins of the South African Ndebele are shrouded in mystery, they have been identified as one of the Nguni tribes. The Nguni tribes represent nearly two thirds of South Africa's Black population.
Estimated at 7 million, these Sotho speakers are the second largest African language group in South Africa. Three million Sotho and other closely related groups live outside of South Africa, the majority of who are in Lesotho. Learn more about the Pedi people
The San are the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa, where they have lived for at least 20 000 years. The term San is commonly used to refer to a diverse group of hunter-gatherers living in Southern Africa.
The Tsonga are a diverse people, generally including the Shangaan, Thonga, Tonga, and several smaller ethnic groups. Together they numbered about 1.5 million people in South Africa in the mid-1990s.
The Venda came from the Great Lakes of Central Africa. Today, many Venda people live in Thohoyandou in the Limpopo. Venda culture has an interesting mix of other cultures - it appears to have incorporated a variety of East African, Central African, Nguni, and Sotho characteristics.
Learn more about the Xhosa people of South Africa and their history, culture, courtship and marriage, customs as well as their belief system.
Zulu people refer to themselves as ‘the people of the heavens' and they are the largest ethnic group of South Africa. Learn all about their traditional clothing, food, dances and religion.
