Kalanga in Zimbabwe

The Kalanga people are found in Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique.  Between 100 and 900 AD, Kalanga people had already settled in the lands now known as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana as Bantu people, coming after the Tonga settlers. In Zimbabwe, they are found in Matabeleland South and North Provinces in districts such as Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo (Kezi), Plumtree, Nyamandlovu and Tsholotsho. The Kalanga are known for their historical association with the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, ( Nzimabwe), Khami and many other enclosures found in the region. This includes the yet to be fully explored Mwali of Njelele religious mythology and Malindadzimu in Matopo).  There are 52, 296 (0.4%) mother-tongue speakers of the Kalanga language in Zimbabwe.