Swazi people

Swazi

Swazi warriors at incwala
Total population
(2,482,046)
Regions with significant populations
Swaziland	1,185,000
South Africa	1,297,046
Languages
siSwati, English, Afrikaans
Religion
Christianity, African Traditional Religion
Related ethnic groups
Nguni, Sotho-Tswana, other Bantu peoples

The Swazi are a Bantu Nguni-speaking people in southeastern Africa, chiefly in Swaziland and South Africa. Besides their language, Siswati, they speak Afrikaans in South Africa and English in South Africa and Swaziland. There have been more Swazi people living in South Africa than in Swaziland since the late 1800s. The Swazi people and the Kingdom of Swaziland today are named after Mswati II, who became king in 1839. Their royal lineage can be traced to a chief named Dlamini I; this is still the royal clan name. About three-quarters of the clan groups are Nguni; the remainder are Sotho and Tsonga descendants. These groups have intermarried freely. There are slight differences among Swazi groups, but Swazi identity extends to all those with allegiance to the twin monarchs Ingwenyama "the Lion" (the king) and Indlovukati "the She-Elephant" (the queen mother).

The Swazis are Nguni clans, who originated in South-east Africa in the fifteenth century, moved into southern Mozambique, and then into present-day Swaziland. The term bakaNgwane ("Ngwane's people") is still used as an alternative to emaSwati, to refer to the Swazi people. The Swazis are a Bantu-speaking people who are predominantly Nguni in language and culture. However some of the Swazi people originate from Sotho clans that were also inhabitants of Swaziland.

As part of the Nguni expansion southwards, the Swazis crossed the Limpopo River and settled in southern Tongaland (today in southern Mozambique near Maputo) in the late fifteenth century. The Ngwane people are recorded as having entered the present territory of Swaziland around the year 1600. Under the leadership of Dlamini III, settlement took place in 1750, along the Pongola River where it cuts through the Lubombo mountains. Later on, they moved into a region on the Pongola River, which was in close proximity to the Ndwandwe people. Dlamini III's successor was Ngwane III, who is considered the first King of modern Swaziland. His rule occurred from around 1745 until 1780, and he ruled from the Shiselweni region of Swaziland.