Zulu Tribe

Indigenous People of South Africa

The Zulu tribe is the largest ethnic group in South Africa with an estimated ten million people. The reason that the Zulu tribe is so large is probably attributable to Shaka Zulu, the nineteenth century Zulu leader that united the Northern Nguni people in the Zulu kingdom and used innovative military tactics to dominate the neighboring tribes. The Zulus became a great military power and was the only African tribe that won battles against the British. However, the Zulu tribes suffered greatly under apartheid and were discriminated against. The language of the Zulu tribe is called isiZulu and is a Bantu language. The ancestors of the modern Zulu people were the Nguni, a Bantu speaking people who are thought to have arrived in South Africa from the north about a thousand years ago. The Zulu tribes have many ceremonies and festivals during which the Zulu traditional beer is consumed. Traditional beer of the Zulu tribe is not only used for special occasions, but is also a staple food with significant nutritional value.