Search: “africa”

East Asian peoples – numbering 5.7 million in 24 peoples. They are mostly present in Africa due to British colonial transplanting. They remain largely isolated from indigenous Christians and have hardly been touched at all by cross-cultural mission work.

The Swahili-speaking Bantu peoples of Africa’s east coast, concentrated in Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros. Almost all are Muslim. Major groupings: Swahili (1.5m, mostly in Zanzibar), Comorian (0.9m), Zaramo (0.8m), Shirazi (0.7m). They are stoutly Muslim and traditionally resistant to Christian outreach.

The peoples of Sudan, Chad, the CAR and Egypt. These include the Nubian cluster (30 peoples, 3.0m), the Ouaddai-Fur (38 peoples, 3.2m) and smaller Guera-Naba cluster (6 peoples, 0.5m). Among the Nubians, only the Dongolawi number over 500,000 (0.9m in Egypt, with only 0.1% Christian). Among the Ouaddai-Fur, only the Fur (0.9m) and Masalit (0.4m) […]

The Horn of Africa-Cushitic peoples. There are 101 million in 160 ethnic groups living mainly in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. They are represented in six people clusters – Afar, Beja, Ethiopian (often referred to as “Semitic”), Omotic, Oromo and Somali. A number of peoples are Christian. The great challenge remains to reach the Somali […]

The Fulbe (Pulaar, Fulani) number 31.9 million in 50 or so distinct ethnic groups speaking related dialects. They have spread from Senegal to become a major component of nearly every country of the Sahel as far east as Sudan. They are the largest nomadic-culture people in the world. More than half now live settled lifestyles […]

The Hausa are dominant in Niger and northern Nigeria, but live in 20 countries in total and number 32.4 million. Hausa has become the major language for much of Nigeria, Niger and beyond. Many resources exist in Hausa – the Bible, the JESUS film, radio broadcasting – and much ministry is done in Hausa, but […]

The interior peoples of West Africa. These consist of the Kanuri, Bambara, Songhai, Soninke people clusters, adding up to 78 peoples with 31 languages and 22.3 million people. Largest among them are the Yerwa Kanuri of Nigeria (5.5m), the Zarma of Niger (4.5m), the Bambara of Mali and Côte d’Ivoire (3.1m, 1.0m), the Songhai-Koryaboro of […]

The Tamacheq (Tuareg) are related to the Berber, but have a unique culture and live in the central Sahara Desert. They number 2.5 million in seven countries and comprise 16 sub-groups. Believers among them are increasing, but only in Niger and Mali are there established groups. A number of agencies have formed a partnership for […]

The peoples of the West Africa coastal nations, including the Wolof, Malinke, Jula and Susu clusters. Totalling 17.2 million people, they include 114 peoples speaking 75 languages and dialects. The largest peoples are the Wolof of Senegal (4.6m), Maninke of Guinea (2.4m), Maninka of Côte d’Ivoire (1.9m), Mandinka of Senegal and Gambia (1.4m) and Susu […]

The Imazighen, or Berber. North Africa’s original inhabitants; they were conquered by Rome, many becoming Christian, then conquered by Arab Muslims in the 8th Century and assimilated into Islam. There are 18 million Imazighen in 76 distinct sub-groups living in 17 countries. Major groups include the Kabyle (3.3m), Riff (2.6m), Shilha (8.7m) and Shawiya (1.9m). […]