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Tsonga People Facts & Worksheets

The Tsonga people are a Bantu ethnic tribe native chiefly to Southern Mozambique and South Africa, particularly in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga

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The Tsonga people are a Bantu ethnic tribe native chiefly to Southern Mozambique and South Africa, particularly in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Small Tsonga populations are also found in Zimbabwe and Northern Eswatini.

See the fact file below for more information on Tsonga People or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Tsonga People worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY

  • The origins of the Tsonga people can be traced back to Central and East Africa from 200–500 A.D.
  • For more than a thousand years, the Tsonga people have migrated in and out of South Africa, having first settled in the Transvaal Province and around St Lucia Bay.
  • Before migration, the Tsonga people were independent traders who bartered beads and cloth in exchange for ivory, salt, and copper.
  • The Tsonga people constituted a group of linguistically linked peoples with some similar cultural characteristics but no central government.
  • The groups classified as Tsonga people are the Shangaan, Thonga, Tonga, Vandzawu, VaTshwa, Vakalanga and Valoyi, among others.
  • Henri Alexandre Junod was one of the first to write a credible historical account of the Tsonga people. The book, entitled “The Life of the South African Tribe” was published in two volumes in 1912 and 1927 respectively.
  • The second account entitled “Matimu ya Vatsonga 1498–1650” by Henri Philipe Junod was published in 1977.
  • The Tsonga population migrated in different directions, with some settling in the south and some in the east.
  • To illustrate, Portuguese sailors encountered Tsonga tribes near the coast of Mozambique in the 1800s.
  • The Tsonga tribes occupied their own coastal territory in southern Mozambique before they were invaded by the Shangana in the early 19th century.
  • The Shangana people, named after their leader Soshangana, moved away from Zululand following their defeat by King Shaka Zulu.
  • Ultimately, they couldn’t resist the domination of the Shagana people.
  • When apartheid South Africa was established, a Tsonga homeland called Gazankulu Bantustan was set up out of the northern Transvaal Province during the 1960s and officially became self-governing in 1973.
  • Only less than half of the Tsonga population settled in the Gazankulu Bantustan; others settled in urban cities.

NAME AND LANGUAGE

  • Tsonga refers to the related ethnic groups in Mozambique and the northern provinces of South Africa.
  • The name Tsonga is derived from the Mozambican term “Ronga,” which means “from the east.” 
  • There are Tsonga people from the north who refer to themselves as Shangana.
  • According to the Constitution of South Africa, people who speak the Xitsonga language are classifiable as Tsonga people.
  • Tsonga people have also settled in parts of Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
  • Tsonga is a South Bantu language, which developed from Zulu, southern Mozambican Thonga, and Tembe.
  • There are four Tsonga language groups: Tshwa and Ronga dialects, which are spoken in Mozambique; Maputsu or Tembe; and the rest are Northern Province dialects.

RELIGION

  • Many Tsonga people identify as Christian.
  • Many also subscribe to traditional religion rooted in appeasing their ancestral spirits.
  • Traditional religion dictates that angering an ancestral spirit or breaking a taboo may cause illness and misfortune.

MUSIC AND DANCE

  • The xibelani dance is a Tsonga dance that is filled with energy, vigor, and movement.
  • The name ‘xibelani’ means “hitting to the rhythm.”
  • To perform the dance, women wear Tsonga traditional clothing known as ‘tinguvu.’ 
  • The clothes are made in a way that highlights the waist and emphasizes body movements.
  • Grass, strings, and wool may be used to make xibelani skirts.
  • Xibelani skirts are colorful and usually consist of Caribbean colors.
  • The dance involves lively movement to synchronize with percussion tunes, clapping, and whistling.
  • Men play the instruments while women sing and dance.
  • As for the Tsonga people’s musical heritage, three musical instruments are primarily used, namely stringed instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments.
  • Stringed instruments include the ‘xizambi,’ the ‘xitendxe,’ the ‘mgangala,’ and the ‘xipendana.’ 
  • Wind instruments used are the ‘xitiringo,’ the ‘nangna,’ and the ‘mhalamhala,’ an antelope horn trumpet. 
  • Percussion instruments used are the ‘tsomane,’ a type of tambourine, and the ‘ndzumba’ and ‘xigubu,’ which are drums. Another drum known as ‘ngoma’ is commonly used in festivals.

FAMILY

  • The father is called ‘tatana,’ while the mother is called ‘mamona.’
  • Relatives on the father’s side are called ‘vakweru.’
  • First and second cousins are called ‘makweru.’
  • The paternal grandfather, male relatives on the mother’s side, and ancestral relatives on the father’s side are all called ‘kokwana.’
  • The father’s sister is called ‘hahani.’

AGRICULTURE

  • Agriculture is the major economic activity of the Tsonga population.
  • Women do most of the farming and agricultural work.
  • Men focus on raising livestock.
  • Homegrown crops, fruit and vegetables, and meat (goat, chicken, game, and beef) make up the Tsonga diet.
  • Fish is also consumed in Mozambique.
  • Commercially, the crops grown by farmers are bananas, mangoes, maize, oranges, tomatoes, avocados, nuts, cotton, and tobacco, to name a few.

Tsonga People Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Tsonga People across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about the Tsonga People who are a Bantu ethnic tribe native chiefly to Southern Mozambique and South Africa.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Tsonga People Facts
  • Remembering Terms
  • Family Vocabulary
  • Harvesting Crops
  • Historical Timeline
  • Best Choice
  • False To Factual
  • Dance Photo Vault
  • Unique Flag
  • Music Collage
  • Discussion Points

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Link will appear as Tsonga People Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 22, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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