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Venda
Venda
Person	MuVenda
People	VhaVenda
Language	TshiVenda/Lu-venda
Country	Venda

Vha-Venda
Total population
	+2.5 million
Regions with significant populations
	Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Makhado Local Municipality, Musina Local Municipality, and Thulamela Local Municipality.
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Languages
	Tshi-Venda and English
Religion
	Christianity, Traditional African religion
Related ethnic groups
	Makua people, Shona people, Pedi people, and Kalanga people

The Venḓa (VhaVenḓa or Vhangona) are a Bantu people native to Southern Africa living mostly near the South African-Zimbabwean border. The Venda language arose from interactions with Sotho-Tswana and Kalanga groups from 1400.^[4]

The Venda are closely associated with the 13th century Kingdom of Mapungubwe where oral tradition holds King Shiriyadenga as the first king of Venda and Mapungubwe.^[5] The Mapungubwe Kingdom stretched from the Soutpansberg in the south, across the Limpopo River to the Matopos in the north. The Kingdom rapidly declined around 1300 due to climatic change and the population scattered, as power moved north to the Great Zimbabwe Kingdom. The first Venda settlement in the Soutpansberg was that of the legendary chief Thoho-ya-Ndou (Head of the Elephant). His royal kraal was called D’zata; its remains have been declared a National Monument. The Mapungubwe Collection is a museum collection of artefacts found at the archaeological site and is housed in the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria. Venda people share ancestry with Lobedu people and Kalanga people. They are also related to Sotho-Tswana peoples and Shona groups.

History

The Venda of today are Vhangona, Takalani (Ungani), Masingo and others. Vhangona are the original inhabitants of Venda, they are also referred as Vhongwani wapo; while Masingo and others are originally from central Africa and the East African Rift, migrating across the Limpopo river during the Bantu expansion, Venda people originated from central and east Africa, just like the other South African tribes.^[6]^[7]

Clans

The Venda of today are descendants of many heterogeneous groupings and clans such as:

Dzindou dza Hakhomunala Mutangwe /
Dzatshamanyatsha
Dzindou Dza Manenzhe
Vhafamadi;
Vhadau vhatshiheni
Vhadau Madamani
Rambuda;
Vha Ha-Ramavhulela (Vhubvo Dzimauli)
Vhakwevho;
Vha Ha-Maďavha (Great Warthogs of Luonde
who immigrated from Zimbabwe)
Vhambedzi;
Vhania;
Vhagoni;
Vhalea;
Gebebe;
Ndou;

Maďou;
Vhasekwa;
Vhaluvhu;
Vhatavhatsindi;
Vhalovhedzi
VhaMese
Vha Ha-Nemutudi
Vhatwanamba;
Vhanzhelele/Vhalembethu;
VhaDzanani
Vhanyai;
Vhalaudzi;
Masingo; and Rambau
Runganani (marungadzi nndevhelaho)
Ragwala (Vhathu vha thavhani)
Takalani(Ungani)

Vhadau, Vhakwevho, Vhafamadi, Vhania, Vhalea, and Vhaluvhu were collectively known as Vhangona. The Vhangona and Vhambedzi are considered to be the original inhabitants of Venda and the first people to live there.

The land of Vhangona was later settled by Karanga-Rodzvi clans from Zimbabwe: Vhatwanamba, Vhanyai, Vhatavhatsindi, and Vhalembethu. Masingo and Vhalaudzi are late arrivals in Venda.

Venda woman singing about a successful trip to collect stinkbugs.

Mapungubwe

Mapungubwe was the center of a kingdom with about 5,000 people living at its center. Mapungubwe as a trade center lasted between 1220 and 1300 AD. The people of Mapungubwe mined and smelted copper, iron and gold, spun cotton, made glass and ceramics, grew millet and sorghum, and tended cattle, goats and sheep.^[8]

The people of Mapungubwe had a sophisticated knowledge of the stars, and astronomy played a major role not only in their tradition and culture, but also in their day-to-day lives.^{[citation needed]}

Mapungubwe predates the settlements at Great Zimbabwe, Thulamela and Dzata.

Venda Royal House

The Venda were recognised as a traditional royal house in 2010 and Toni Mphephu Ramabulana was the acting king from 2012-2019. In September 2016 Princess Masindi Mphephu, daughter of Tshimangadzi Mphephu (Venda Chief during 1993–1997), challenged her uncle Ramabulana for the throne. She claimed that she wasn't considered a candidate because of her sex.^[9]

On 14 December 2016 she initially lost this battle in court when the Thohoyandou High Court dismissed the case.^[10] In May 2019, however, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the Thohoyandou High Court decision and declared that Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana's appointment as king of the Venda nation was deemed ''unlawful''.^[11] Ramubulana has since appealed this ruling, and as of July 2020 the matter was before the Constitutional Court of South Africa.^[12] The Vhavenda people have since started

Notable Venda people

The following is a list of notable Venda people who have their own Wikipedia articles.

D

Benedict Daswa, South African school teacher beatified by the Roman Catholic Church
Mulalo Doyoyo, South African engineer, inventor, and professor

G

Thomas Gumbu, South African politician

K

Mmbara Hulisani Kevin, South African politician

L

Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, South African politician

Ma-Mp

Noria Mabasa, Venda artist who works in ceramic and wood sculpture
E. S. Madima, South African writer
Tenda Madima, South African writer
Joe Mafela, South African actor, film director and singer
Makhado, 19th century King of the Venda people
Milicent Makhado, South African actress
Rudzani Maphwanya, South African Army officer
Tshilidzi Marwala, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, South African engineer and computer scientist
Florence Masebe, South African actress
Michael Masutha, South African politician
Rendani Masutha, South African naval officer and former military judge
Shaun Maswanganyi, South African athlete
Mark Mathabane, South African tennis player and author of Kaffir Boy
Eric Mathoho, South African footballer
Kembo Mohadi, Vice President of Zimbabwe.
Patrick Mphephu, first president of the bantustan of Venda

Mu

Daniel Mudau, South African footballer
Khuliso Mudau, South African footballer
Sydney Mufamadi, South African politician
Fulu Mugovhani, South African actress
Mukhethwa Mukhadi, South African singer, rapper, producer and director
Elaine Mukheli, South African singer and songwriter
Colbert Mukwevho, South African reggae singer
Gumani Mukwevho, South African politician
Collen Mulaudzi, South African long-distance runner
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, South African middle-distance runner
Rhoda Mulaudzi, South African footballer
Rotshidzwa Muleka, South African footballer
Luvhengo Mungomeni, South African footballer
Clarence Munyai, South African sprinter
Marks Munyai, South African footballer
Tshifhiwa Munyai, South African boxer
Azwinndini Muronga, South African physicist
Shudufhadzo Musida, Miss South Africa 2020 winner
Faith Muthambi, South African politician

N

Phathutshedzo Nange, South African footballer
Phillip Ndou, South African boxer
Lovemore Ndou, South African boxer
Prince Neluonde, South African lawn bowler
Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, South African engineer and computer scientist
Tshilidzi Nephawe, South African basketball player
Joel Netshitenzhe, South African politician
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South African politician

P

George Phadagi, South African politician
Fred Phaswana, South African businessman

R

Kagiso Rabada, South African cricketer
Vhambelani Ramabulana, South African politician
Rodney Ramagalela, South African footballer
Cyril Ramaphosa, 5th President of the Republic of South Africa
Richard Ramudzuli, South African Events Organizer
Gabriel Ramushwana, former head of state of the bantustan of Venda
Phophi Ramathuba, South African politician and medical doctor
Rudzani Ramudzuli, South African footballer
Khume Ramulifho, South African politician
Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona, South African musician
Rasta Rasivhenge, South African rugby union referee
Frank Ravele, second president of the bantustan of Venda
Riky Rick, South African rapper, songwriter and actor

T

Gabriel Temudzani, South African actor
Dan Tshanda, South African musician
Mashudu Tshifularo, South African educator and medical specialist
Jacob Tshisevhe, South African footballer
Mpho Tshivhase, South African philosopher

W

Ernst Oswald Johannes Westphal, Professor of African Languages, b. Khalavha 1919

Musangwe

Musangwe is a Venda tradition of bare-knuckle fist fighting. Musangwe is a sport which was developed not only for entertainment but also for gaining respect among your peers. Vhavenda never allowed violence and fighting, but with this sport you could challenge a person you deemed disrespectful towards you, and the rule is if you are challenged to fight you are to fight or there will be consequences such as a fine or even been beaten up by the elders. The winners of this sport were often compensated with whatever the Khosi (chief) or Vhamusanda (headman) deemed right.^[13]^[14]^[15] The fights have no set time limit and only end when one fighter concedes defeat. No medical staff are on standby to help those injured in the flurry of blows that boxers trade, only village elders watching to guard against indiscretions such as biting or kicking. Importantly, gambling on the outcome of the fights is banned and the winners take nothing away other than a sense of pride in representing their village or family.^[16]