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People group profile · PG015041

The Batemi of Tanzania

The Batemi of Tanzania, numbering about 59,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Tanzania.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-Lakes people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Temi.

Pray for the BatemiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Tanzania
Population
59,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Lakes
Primary language
Temi (soz)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Arusha region: Ngorongoro district, north central near Kenya border, Maasai area. 7 villages: Digodigo, Kisangiro, Mdito, Mugholo, Oldonyo Sambu, Sale, and Samunga

Where they live

Gospel status

The Batemi 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 Batemi

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

90% adherents

Primary language

Temi · Atlantic-Congo family

70% speak Temi

Gospel resources in Temi

  • Bible available, published 2012
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

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

Pray for the Batemi

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

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