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People group profile · PG012448

The Southern Samo of Burkina Faso

The Southern Samo of Burkina Faso, numbering about 182,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a people of Burkina Faso.

They are an indigenous people in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Southern Samo.

Pray for the Southern SamoPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Southern Samo people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Samo, Southern

Fast facts

Country
Burkina Faso
Population
182,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Mande
Primary language
Southern Samo (sbd)
Primary religion
Folk Islam
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Southern Samo are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Southern Samo

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Folk Islam · Islam

Primary language

Southern Samo · Mande family

100% speak Southern Samo

Gospel resources in Southern Samo

  • Bible available, published 2014
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Southern Samo

  1. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  2. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  3. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  4. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.

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