The Swati/Swazi People of Swaziland: Laugange & Facts

The Emaswati, or Swazi, are a Bantu-speaking people who formerly lived in what is now Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and the neighbouring regions of southern Africa. They share a linguistic family with other Nguni languages, such as Xhosa and Zulu. Traditional values, a distinct monarchy, and a focus on family and community define Swazi culture.

They are also referred to as the Swazi people, and they still maintain their culture and customs today. They reside in nations like South Africa, Mozambique, and Swaziland in the southern region of Africa. They were a part of the Nguni tribe and migrated from central Africa in the fifteenth century. They created their own political and economic identity when they arrived in Swaziland in 1750.

The Swati Kingdom’s people still dress in vibrant traditional attire, and because it is a strong patriarchal society, the queen mother may even hold greater authority than the king. In reality, selecting the future king would be similar to selecting a new queen mother. The social standing of those who reside in rural and urban areas differs significantly. A person’s standing in their clan increases with their proximity to the king.

Similar to the Zulu people, the Swazi speak a Bantu language that originated with the Nguni clan. It is one of the eleven (11) official languages of South Africa and one of the two (2) official languages (English and Swaziland). There are two main varieties of the Swazi language: the royal upper-class dialect, which is spoken in the majority of Swaziland, and the rudimentary dialect.

The Swazi people, like the majority of tribes on the African continent, have peculiar and distinctive traditional clothing. While only a few nations wear their traditional clothing on a daily basis, such clothing is typically worn for significant cultural ceremonies. The Swazi people are distinctive in that they have distinct clothing for each gender and age group. However, other types of attire, like the Incwala and the Umlanga, are exclusively worn during specific ceremonial occasions.

A History Of The Eswatini People