People group profile · PG015036
The Shambala of Tanzania
The Shambala of Tanzania, numbering about 1,405,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu farming people of the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania's Tanga Region, ruled for over two centuries by the Kilindi dynasty's Shambaa Kingdom until German colonization and its dissolution in 1962.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-East people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Shambala.
Fast facts
- Country
- Tanzania
- Population
- 1,405,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Central-East
- Primary language
- Shambala (ksb)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Tanga region: Lushoto district, Usambara mountains; Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shambala are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. 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 Shambala
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
85% adherents
Primary language
Shambala · Atlantic-Congo family
80% speak Shambala
Gospel resources in Shambala
- Bible available, published 2005
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Shambala)
Bibles
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shambala
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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