Location
​The Zulu people are scattered throughout the provinces, but their main location is KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal borders Mozambique, Eastern Cape, the Indian Ocean, and Lesotho. KwaZulu-Natal is semi-fertile with a flat coastal plain, highlands in the west, and many rivers and streams. The climate is subtropical- sunshine with occasional rainshowers. Many Zulu still live in traditionally communities but some live in urban areas.
Human-Environment Interaction
The Zulu tribe in most of the rural areas do not have basics such as electricity, clean water, formal housing, transport, hospitals, or clinics.
The Zulu tribe lived in inland regions that were mainly cold and constantly had thunderstorms. In the daytime the temperature be around 28 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), and by night time it dropped to 11 degrees Celsius (51 degrees Fahrenheit). The thunderstorms were very frightening to the Zulu tribe that they didn’t do any work, talking, and cooking because they thought doing all that would attract the lightening to them.
The men were the leaders for everything. Zulus are self sufficient and separated by gender when it comes to working. Women take care of domestic responsibilities while the men take care of defending the land. A cultural adaptation would be that some of the Zulu people live in rural communities but also some have migrated to urban areas.
The Zulu Tribe has a game safari in a preserve. You can learn more about it here.
Movement
The Zulus are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. Their ancestors were the Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated along the east coast of Africa to South Africa in the 9th Century AD. The Zulu warrior Shaka Zulu is credited for uniting the Zulus into a single kingdom in the early 19th Century, around the same time that European Colonial presence was growing in the region.
Place
Language
The dominant language in South Africa is isiZulu. In KwaZulu-Natal, the most frequently spoken languages are Zulu and English. Zulu is idiomatic and proverbial and is characterized by many clicks. The Zulu language is characterized by respect terms (hlonipha). Addressing older people, especially elderly and senior people, by their first names is viewed as lack of respect. Therefore terms like baba(father) and mama(mother) are used not only to address one's parents but also other senior males and females of the community.
Shaka's Day
The Zulu recognize the national holidays of the Republic of South Africa. In addition, they celebrate Shaka's Day every year in September. This holiday is marked by celebrations and slaughtering cattle to commemorate the founder of the Zulu Kingdom. Zulu people wear their full traditional attire and gather at Shaka's tombstone, kwaDukuza in Stanger. Izimbongi (praise-poets) sing the praises of all the Zulu kings, from Shaka to the present king, Zwelithini.
