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People group profile · PG015243

The Luyana of Botswana

The Luyana of Botswana, numbering about 11,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a southwestern Bantu ethnic group indigenous to the Lozi-Luyana area of Zambia's Western province and adjacent areas of Angola.

They are a diaspora people in the Bantu, Central-Southwest people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Luyana.

Pray for the LuyanaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Botswana
Population
11,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Southwest
Primary language
Luyana (lyn)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Luyana 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Luyana

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Luyana · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Luyana

Gospel resources in Luyana

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

Films

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

Pray for the Luyana

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

Download a prayer guide

Luyana in other countries

The same people (ROP3 105945) is reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
LuyanaZambia109,000Engaged yet Unreached
LuyanaAngola99,000Engaged yet Unreached

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