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Zulu Women Life
Top level Zulu Culture

Author: Graham Chennells

Publishing date: 10.08.2004 17:18

Zulu Women life, scetches of rural and urban, contemporary and traditional Zulu women life in Zululand.


Dressed for the occassion
Zulu Women Life.
These are some scetches 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.
For info on Zulu Culture go to this site.


Bridesmaids Kneeling
Bridesmaids kneel at a zulu wedding
These are very colourful and beautifull 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


Cooking for the Wedding
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, putu, 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.Zulu women life in rural Zululand.


Girl waiting for Stokvel collection
Stokvel saving and buying system. This girl is waiting for her family to come and collect the goods they have bought for Xmas on the Stokvel system.The goods are mainly staple items to feed the family and many friends who come home for Xmas 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.Zulu women life in rural Zululand



Girls portaging beer to ceremony
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 sisters wedding.The scene is on a hilltop overlooking the rolling hills of Eshowe,Zululand.What a perfect setting for a wedding.This job of transporting the beer is a womens task.They can carry many kilograms on the 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.Zulu women life in rural Zululand



Granny having her say
Granny having her say Granny's 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.Not idley though as they work very hard helping the extended family, plant 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.



Dance & Dust
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 immeadiately bursts into a wardance to the delight of the audience.He often leads the singing at the important Zulu ceremonies when the Zulu King is present.


Headgear in fashion
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 people wearing them. They are attending a ceremony at which the Zulu King and his councillors are present during a ceremony honouring Ndlela ka Sompisi a famous Zulu General in King Dinganes 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.


Vegetable Farmers
Granny's and mothers planting vegetables These Zulu Gogo's, granny's and mothers are producing the most awesome vegetables for their families in the Tugela Valley. Vegetables like mealies, cabbages, spinach, onions, potatoes, madumbies (Jammies), pumpkins and so forth.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.


Granny gathering Reeds
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.


Three Modern Beauties at Reed Dance
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 visitiing 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




Young Sangoma
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. Sangomas 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 thay have a huge get together to celebrate the occassion.They are an integral part of Zulu society and culture. For more on these ceremonies check this link.
Sangoma Ceremonies



Shembe Woman
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


Market Stalls - Melmoth Rd
Women run this Roadside MarketProduce Market on the Melmoth Rd.Only women work here - they won't allow men anywhere near !!
This highway is used by truck hauliers, 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.


Wood gathering in Nongoma
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.


Two jobs in one
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.


Women, Pumkins & Donkeys

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




Women Clapping
Zululand Eco-Adventures.
Eshowe. Zululand.
KwaZulu Natal. South Africa.
info@eshowe.com
035 4744919..

Your Guides:
Graham Chennells. Walter Cele. Victor Mdluli. Daryn Watkins







Zulu Culture
Zulu Culture
King Dinzulu Township & Upliftment Tour.
King Dinzulu Township and Upliftment Tour
Zulu Traditional Ceremonies
Zulu Traditional Ceremonies
Walters Traditional Zulu Village
Walters Traditional Zulu Village
Walters Traditional Zulu Village - Overnight
Overnight in Walters Village
Zululand Outback Tour
Zululand Outback Tour
Valley of the Zulu Kings.
Valley of the Zulu Kings.
Sangoma & Ceremonies
Sangoma and Ceremonies
Zululand Weekend Package
Zululand Weekend Package
Mbongolwane Wetlands, Zulu Villages & Crafts
Mbongolwane Wetlands and Crafts
Zulu Tribe
Zulu Tribe
King Dinizulu Township Tour
King Dinizulu Township Tour
Zulu Villages
Zulu Villages
Zulu Kings Reed Dance
Zulu Kings Reed Dance
Shaka Zulu Celebrations.
Shaka Zulu Celebrations
Zulu Wars / Battles
Zulu Wars and Battles
Shaka Zulu. King
Shaka Zulu
Khekhekhe.A Sangoma
Khekhekhe A Sangoma





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