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Top level
Zulu Culture
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Zulu Women life, sketches of rural, urban, contemporary and traditional Zulu women life in Zululand.
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Dressed for the occassion
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Zulu Women Life
These are some sketches of contemporary and traditional Zulu women life in Zulu villages and in particular women and girls in Zulu society. This web page is being developed over a few months and will evolve from my journey around the Eshowe, Zululand region as I travel with my clients on our Zululand Eco-Adventure tours to discover the change in Zulu society.
Click here for info on Zulu Culture.
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Bridesmaids Kneeling
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Bridesmaids kneel at a Zulu wedding
These are very colourful and beautiful bridesmaids and the bride at an Inkosi's wedding near Eshowe. At this wedding the Nkosi was marrying his fifth wife. On one Saturday an Inkosi married his 5th wife in the morning and 6th wife in the afternoon (He could afford them). For a more comprehensive report on Zulu Traditional ceremonies check out this link.
Traditional Zulu Ceremonies
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Cooking for the Wedding
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Zulu women cooking at a wedding.
This family is having a wedding that starts off in this case with the bride and bridegroom dressing in full western dress. Flowing white brides dress and the bridegroom dressed to the hilt. Do the church bit and they end up having a full traditional wedding. These ladies are preparing a lot of meat in the pots, puthu, vegetables - a full traditional meal. This food is extremely healthy (unless you are a vegetarian) and everyone eats to their hearts content. There are over 1000 people at this wedding. Traditionally women cook the food and here they are with pots and open fires.
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Girl waiting for Stokvel collection
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Stokvel saving and buying system.
This girl is waiting for her family to come and collect the goods they have bought for Christmas on the Stokvel system. The goods are mainly staple items to feed the family and many friends who come home for Christmas and New year. Stokvels are collectives that raise a monthly sum of money from members which is banked and at year-end the leader uses this purchasing power to do bulk buying. In this case a 10 ton truck has just delivered maize, beans, samp, sugar and other consumables. This also makes transportation of goods so much easier.
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Girls portaging beer to ceremony
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Zulu maidens carrying pots of beer at a traditional ceremony. These Zulu maidens have walked a kilometre or two from their homes to the scene of their sister's wedding. The scene is on a hilltop overlooking the rolling hills of Eshowe, Zululand. What a perfect setting for a wedding. The job of transporting the beer is a task for women. They can carry many kilograms on their heads in perfect balance as they walk up the hill. Not a drop is spilt. The beer will be placed in front of the groom for all to share.
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Granny having her say
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A granny having her say Grannies are the very fibre of the family in a traditional Zulu home. They oversee the passing on of traditions. They have nurtured their families and now look on with satisfaction at their lifes work. They work very hard helping the extended family, planting crops and assisting with household chores. Many spend hours making Zulu mats out of reeds which can be colour-enhanced in may ways. This granny is at a traditional ceremony and shaking hands with a future relative.
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Dance & Dust
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Sturdy Zulu Girl dancing in front of Zulu warriors This is an example of of a sturdy Zulu girl performing in front of a group of senior Zulu citizens after the unveiling of a monument to a Zulu hero ka sompisi Ntuli. She is encouraging them to do a traditional dance in front of a large crowd. Prince Gideon Zulu a direct decendant of King Mpande looks on and immediately bursts into a war-dance to the delight of the audience. He often leads the singing at the important Zulu ceremonies when the Zulu King is present.
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Beautiful Zulu Girls
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Zulu Kings Reed DanceTwenty five thousand Zulu virgins gather at the Zulu Kings Enyokeni Traditional Residence for this very colourful and meaningful ceremony. In the olden days, females gathered at the Reed Ceremony (Umkhosi woMhlanga ) and men at the First Fruits Ceremony. ( Umkhosi wokweshwama ).
Female regiments during the reign of early kings were classified in age groups.
The historical roots of the Zulus are based on Nkabazwe ( land of origin ) which is the source of civilisation. The Zulu King Goodwill Zwelethini kaBhekuzulu is referred as uHlanga lwezwe because they link them with their common ancestors. When Zulu’s moved southwards they travelled in rafts “isilulu” made of reeds. Hence the Zulu phrase “sehla ngesilulu” meaning we came by traditional boats.
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Headgear in fashion
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Proud traditional Ladies with colourful headgear Here are some very proud traditional ladies from the heart of Zulu country in the Nkandla district. These are really rural and beautiful like the women wearing them. They are attending a ceremony at which the Zulu King and his councellors are present during a ceremony honouring Ndlela ka Sompisi a famous Zulu General in King Dingane's time. Only married women wear this headgear. We later gave these ladies a lift home in the dust and rough and ready roads, that are normal in that part of the world.
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Zulu Women Fashion 2
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The King Shaka Day Celebrations were being held at Dukuza (Formerly Stanger) on the KZN north coast on Saturday 24th September 2009.These celebrations honouring King, Shaka Zulu (b. 1781) are held at his monument close to the place where he was murdered by his brother Dingane on the 22 September 1828.The stone on which he was sitting having a wash when the deed was done.Shaka Zulu pictures.
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Vegetable Farmers
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Granny's and mothers planting vegetables These Zulu Gogos (grannies) and mothers are producing the great vegetables for their families in the Tugela Valley. Vegetables such as mealies, cabbages, spinach, onions, potatoes, madumbies (Jammies) and pumpkins. The money for the pump and water system came from some generous Canadians and many other people who support such schemes of upliftment. Hard diligent work keeps these families going. What a wholesome life they lead. These people are the salt of the earth - No supermarkets out here.
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Granny gathering Reeds
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Traditional zulu women life - in zulu villages - This old lady lives near the The Mbongolwane Wetlands Her daughter has lost a husband and they provide for the children through the women of the households efforts. She cuts the reeds and sells them to passers by, for the reconstruction of their homes. This is valuable income and a good days work. In between these chores she plants vegetables in the rich black soils of the wetland. Excess to their needs are sold to supplement family income. The folklore of the wetlands has developed over many centuries and some of the habits developed have scientists agog at the wisdom of the practices demanded of wetland inhabitants.
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Three Modern Beauties at Reed Dance
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Three modern girls in the Zulu Kings Enyokeni Traditional Palace during the 2003 Reed Dance.These girls have not partaken in the ceremonies but are visiting from affar.
Annually in early September each year the Zulu King invites thousands of Zulu virgins to his traditional palace for these celebrations.Zulu Maidens march up to the palace with reeds to present to him. The Kings daughters lead the procession and hand the first reeds over to the king ahead of the column of thousands of virgins. For a more comprehensive report on the Reed Dance check out the link below.
The Zulu Kings Reed Dance
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Young Sangoma
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This young sangoma is being initiated out in the Tugela Valley. National Geographic were out doing a documentary on the proceedings. She is busy beating on the drums. Sangoma CeremoniesSangomas get a calling (usually by being stricken down in a type of fit) and are then taken in by a mentor for a few years training.They train in Zulu medicine and fortune telling. When this is complete they have a huge get together to celebrate the occasion. They are an integral part of Zulu society and culture. For more on these ceremonies check this link.
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Shembe Woman
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This lady wears a traditional Shembe beaded headgear at a wedding. Her family with over 20000 other Shembes gather at Judea, Eshowe in Zululand during the month of October. Temporary accommodation is erected and there is a hive of activity while families move in for two to three weeks stay. Husbands who can't stay leave their families and get back for the weekend. Shembe arrives in mid October and from then there are daily prayers and prayer dances. Families make this pilgrimage annually to pray and be healed. For a more comprehensive report on Shembe's and Shembe Ceremonies check this link.
The Shembe Celebrations
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Market Stalls - Melmoth Rd
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Women run this Roadside MarketProduce Market on the Melmoth Road. Only women work here - they won't allow men anywhere near!
This highway is used by truck haulers, businessmen and holiday makers. This road market is a very busy market for local rural people who buy and sell a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Much of it is produced on the very fertile soils of the Nkwalini Valley (birthplace of King Shaka). Farmers export all the top quality unblemished fruit. Zulu farmers also produce a lot of madumbies, mealies, pumpkins, sweet potatoes etc. Crafts are also available here.
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Wood gathering in Nongoma
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Wood Gatherers of Nongoma These woman are from one family and have spent since the early hours collecting wood in the bush on the slopes of the Nongoma hills. This is a womens job taught to the little girls at an early age. It's amazing the load that a person can carry and walk with for many miles. All the dead pieces of wood are tied together cleverly in order to maximise the amount of wood per bundle. Most of it is used for cooking and heating water. Some is sold to augment the family income.
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Two jobs in one
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Two jobs in one This women is doing a clients hair while she waits for a rush of business as the Nongoma bus stops opposite her in a rural country town. She has a lively trade as can be seen by the freshness and amount of food on display. Time is important and never a moment is lost. These towns bussle with business from morning till late afternoon when the buses and taxi's take the shoppers and sellers back to their rural homes.
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Women, Pumkins & Donkeys
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These women are returning from Wetlands with donkeys and produce grown on their land. They live on the hills a few miles from these very productive plots of land. These plots are fenced and water provided by government sponsored water pumps. This form of agriculture is
not subsistence farming. They produce primarily to sell their produce for cash. The whole community is also involved in the preservation of the Wetlands. This scenery is best seen on the Zululand Outback trail
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Women Clapping
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Zululand Eco-Adventures
Eshowe
Zululand
KwaZulu Natal
South Africa
info@eshowe.com
035 474 4919
Your Guides:
Graham Chennells
Walter Cele
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Traditional Beaded Skirt
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Zulu Culture
King Dinzulu Township and Upliftment Tour
Zulu Traditional Ceremonies
Walters Traditional Zulu Village
Overnight in Walter's Village
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Pretty Zulu Girl
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Zululand Outback Tour
Valley of the Zulu Kings
Sangoma and Ceremonies
Zululand Weekend Package
Mbongolwane Wetlands, Zulu Villages Crafts
Zulu Tribe
King Dinizulu Township Tour
Zulu Villages
Zulu Kings Reed Dance
Shaka Zulu Celebrations
Zulu Wars and Battles
Shaka Zulu
Khekhekhe (A Sangoma)
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