Africa’s Top 10 Most Famous Tribes

With an estimated 3000 tribess all which incredibly vary in measurement, structure, language and culture the continent has greatly established throughout the years.

And even though split-ups between tribes has lessened tribal affiliations still stand as a source of pride among the natives. And they are all beautiful in their own unique ways. So who are the most popular of the bunch.

1. Yoruba (West Africa)

Yoruba is one of the four official languages of Nigeria and is a member of the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages. It is spoken by about 22 million people in southwest Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.

2. San Bushmen (Southern Africa)

They are one of the world’s most self-sufficient and sustainable societies, and some of the last remaining Bushman communities to rely on hunting and gathering to survive.

3. Maasai (East Africa)

The Maasai ( are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs, dance and dress. Their symbol color is bright red and is featured in almost all parts of their cultural life

4. Zulu (Southern Africa)

No surprises here Zulu (Zulu: amaZulu) are a Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in South Africa, with an estimated 10–11 million people living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Small numbers also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Their language,Zulu, is a Bantu language. And we just love how they dance.

5. Hausa (West Africa)

Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 35 million people, and as a second language by millions more in Nigeria, and millions more in other countries, for a total of at least 250 million speakers. They have restricted dress code, elaborate dress code for men with striking embroideries around the neck and the abaa wrapper for women.

 

6. Himba (Namibia)

The Himba is the famous tribe of ’red people’ in northern Namibia. Women paint themselves twice a day with red clay mixed with butter. They wear short skirts made of goat skins and long red clay covered plaits of hair ending with tassells. At first it can seem that there are only women in the Himba tribe. Almost all of them are traditionally dressed, proud and beautiful. In contrast, the men usually have adopted western clothes and you don’t get to see them much in the villages anyway, because they are often far away with their herds, or (unfortunately) in the pub.

7. Xhosa (Southern Africa)

The Xhosa are the second largest cultural group in South Africa, after the Zulu-speaking nation. Xhosa is one of the 11 official languages recognized by the South African Constitution. It is a tonal language, governed by the noun –  and characterised by click sounds which dominates the sentence.

8. Kalenjin (Kenya)

The Kalenjin tribe belongs to the Nilotic ethnic group. These highland Nilotes include eight culturally and linguistically related groups or tribes, namely Kipsigis, Nandi, Tugen, Marakwet, Keiyo, Pokot, Sabaot and Terik. The Kalenjin are renowned on a national and international level for their athletic prowess and they are sometimes referred to as Kenya’s running tribe. They are Kenya’s forth largest ethnic group, with the Kipsigis being the largest of the Kalenjin group.

9. Chaga (Tanzania)

The Chaga are Bantu-speaking indigenous Africans and the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. They traditionally live on the southern and eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru and near Moshi

10. Oromo (Eastern Africa)

The Oromo are a native African ethnic group found in Ethiopia and to a smaller extent in Kenya. They are the largest single ethnic group in Ethiopia, at 32.1% of the population according to the 1994 census, and today numbering around 40 million. Omo people are found mainly in Ethiopia (99%), but are spread from as far as Kenya as well.