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A guide to South Africa’s traditional ceremonies — from imbeleko and umemulo to umembeso, ukubuyisa and the tombstone unveiling: what each one is, why it’s held, and what happens.
See also: Lobola →
Imbeleko is a traditional ceremony practised among several Nguni peoples of Southern Africa, most prominently the Xhosa …
Umembeso is a Zulu gift-giving ceremony that forms part of the broader marriage process, typically taking place after lo…
Umemulo is a traditional Zulu coming-of-age ceremony held to honour a young woman, customarily around the age of 21, mar…
Umabo is a Zulu traditional wedding ritual centred on the bride formally presenting gifts to the groom's family. It is w…
Ukubuyisa is a traditional ceremony among the Zulu and other Nguni peoples of South Africa in which the spirit of a dece…
Ukuthwasa is the term used among several Nguni peoples of Southern Africa, particularly Zulu and Xhosa communities, for …
Umhlanga, or the Reed Dance, is an annual ceremony of the Swazi and Zulu peoples in which tens of thousands of unmarried…
A tombstone unveiling is a memorial gathering, held some months to a few years after a burial, at which a family formall…
Umkhehlo is a pre-wedding ceremony in Zulu (amaZulu) culture held to honour and "send off" a bride-to-be before she marr…
Inhlawulo is a customary practice found among several Southern African communities, most strongly associated with Zulu a…