Xhosa in Zimbabwe

The Xhosa language speakers are found in South Africa which is their country of origin and also in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini. During the Mfecane upheavals a large group of refugees moved southwards and settled among the Xhosa community. These ethnic groups were mainly from the Hlubi, Bhele, Zizi, Bhaca, Sotho and Swazi communities. They were warmly received by the Xhosa king Hintsa. The name amaMfengu or Fingo meant wonderers and was applied by the Xhosa to the remnants of several ethnic groups which had been broken and scattered by the armies of the Zulu king Tshaka. The new settlers were later assimilated into the Xhosa community where they adopted their culture and traditions of the host even though they were major similarities as they were all from the Nguni background. Cecil John Rhodes in his quest to occupy Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) recruited mainly from the Fingo groups as they had already adopted the Western culture in the form of education and Christianity. The recruits were mainly ox-wagon drivers, teachers, artisans and missionaries. The first group of 177 left South Africa in 1898 and settled in Mbembesi and later Inyathi in Matabeleland North, Fort Rixon and Gwatemba in Matabeleland South. Some moved to Midlands province in places like Lower Gwelo, Silobela, Shagari, Zhombe and St Patricks (Chiwundura). The second group of around 200 families left South Africa in 1920 and settled in Mashonaland province in areas such as Msengezi, Marirangwe, Norton, Goromonzi, Buhera, in Manicaland province and Gutu in Masvingo province

There are 11,304 (0.1%) mother-tongue speakers of the Xhosa language in Zimbabwe.