Welcome to the Zulu Kingdom, KwaZulu-Natal

Zulu Cultural Villages

zoom Dumuzulu

The Zulu Village was always circular and built on sloping ground. The main hut of the headman stood at the highest point, with those of his wives hierarchically positioned at both sides. An inner circle housed the wealth of the village - the kraal that kept the cattle and grain. It was a revered area where the spirits of the ancestors were thought to linger.

The Zulu homestead was also circular. The foundations were laid by the men of the village who would gather to enjoy brewed beer and bonhomie while they built. Their job was to fix saplings to the ground then bend and tie them together to form the basic beehive shape. Then it was left to the women to cover the frame with matting woven from thatching grass and bind it with a web of grass ropes.

The right hand side of the hut belonged to the man and the left hand side to the woman. The area at the back that was used to store cooking utensils and valuables, was believed to belong to the spirits.

The survival of traditional homestead structures or 'imizi' have come under increasing pressure. Availability of land for these homesteads has become increasingly scarce. Bricks of mortar have replaced the traditional uhlongwa grass thatched beehive huts which require much maintenance. There are however a number of fine examples of these villages that have been established as living museums for tourists:

- DumaZulu- A KZN registered tourism establishment
- Ecabazini Zulu Cultural Homestead -A KZN registered tourism establishment
- Isithumba Vullage
- Izintaba Cultural Zulu Village
- PheZulu Cultural Village
- Shakaland - A KZN registered tourism establishment
- Simunye
- Kwabekitunga-Stewart's Farm - A KZN registered tourism establishment

zoom Shakaland

Part of King Dingane's Capital has also been reconstructed at uMgungunglovu. There is also a recontruction of part of King Cetshwayo's capital at Ondini.

The Zulu traditional village is a must visit - either for a few hours or as an overnight stop. Guests are greeted with traditional Zulu hospitality and etiquette. Service invariably comes with a big smile from a people who relish showing off their heritage.

Invariably, guests will be entertained by dancing and singing - two communal activities in which Zulu men and women love to participate. It is customery that only the unmarried girls and young men dance, alternating in seperate groups. While the girls dance, the young men will provide accompaniment by singing and clapping and vice versa.

You can also search our database for more information on the above villages or send us a query form.

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