Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG014734

The Taabwa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Taabwa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, numbering about 1,300,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a central Bantu ethnic group who live mainly on the southwestern shores of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratric Republic of the Congo.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-South people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Taabwa.

Pray for the TaabwaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Population
1,300,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-South
Primary language
Taabwa (tap)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Tanganyika province: on Lake Tanganyika, south of Moba

Where they live

Gospel status

The Taabwa are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Taabwa

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

51% adherents

Primary language

Taabwa · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Taabwa

Gospel resources in Taabwa

  • Bible available, published 2016
  • JESUS Film not 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 Taabwa

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

Download a prayer guide

Tabwa in other countries

The same people (ROP3 109677) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
TaabwaZambia141,000Unengaged and Unreached

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.