Nambya in Zimbabwe

The history of the Nambya people begins in what is today known as Great Zimbabwe where they originated from. They left Great Zimbabwe around 1737. The son of the chief, Sahwanga migrated with his sympathisers via Gwai until they reached Binga and went westwards where they settled in the present-day Hwange area. They established cities known as Bumbusi and Shangano by constructing stone works which resemble Great Zimbabwe. Their interaction with the Ndebele, Kalanga and BaTonga led to the metamorphosis of their cultural heritage. Nambya language has some similarities with both Kalanga and Karanga. This means that the culture of the Nambya people is heavily influenced by the cultures of other native people. In today’s Zimbabwe, the Nambya people are found in areas around Hwange, Binga, Nyamandlovu, Bulilima, Mangwe, Tsholotsho, Victoria Falls and Lupane. There are 38, 302 (0.3%) mother-tongue speakers of the Nambya language in Zimbabwe.