1. South Africa is a very diverse nation. It is filled with vibrant cultures, traditions and languages. There are a total of eleven (11) official languages and each language belongs to a certain culture. These cultures include Zulu, Ndebele, Swati, Xhosa, Sotho, Pedi, Tswana, Vhenda, Tshonga, Afrikaans and English. We have decided to focus on one culture. The Ndebele culture.

2. After passing through an initiation school the unmarried Ndebele girl dresses herself in the ceremonial clothing of the newly “admitted adult”. The outfit consists of a skirt, with beaded apron, a beaded bodice that covers the breasts, a necklace or two, earrings, a neck band and multiple arm and leg bands.

3. The Ndebele married women show great pride in the way they dress. Their attire is colourful and decorated with beautiful beadwork. This shows their age and status in the community. The outfit consists of thick beaded hoops, a colourful blanket, brass rings around her neck and legs, a beaded apron, a beaded bodice that covers the breasts, a necklace or two, earrings, a neck band, multiple arm and leg bands and a headpiece.

4. The traditional dress for Ndebele men is not as colourful as that of the women. The main item of clothing for men is a breast-plate or “iporiyana”, which hangs from the neck, often decorated with beads around the top and is made from animal skin. The “iporiyana” is a symbol of manhood and is given to a young boy by his father after he has undergone initiation. Ndebele men also wear animal skin head bands and ankle bands. To keep warm, they wear an animal skin ‘“karos” around their shoulders. Animal skin traditionally played an important role in men’s dress because each Ndebele group is associated with a different animal. For rituals and ceremonies, Ndebele men wear ornaments made for them by their wives

5. South Africa has vibrant cultures. However, our country has adapted many Eurocentric practices that have changed the original cultures. We try as much as we can to not forget our roots by having commemoration days that celebrate the country’s heritage and culture. This is when many south Africans would wear their traditional clothes. This day is celebrated on 25 September.

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