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People group profile · PG015330

The Ngonde of Malawi

The Ngonde of Malawi, numbering about 194,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Malawian people distinguishing commoner ancestors, remembered as Rift Valley hunters, from chiefly ancestors who arrived ten generations ago with cattle and ironworking, settling the Songwe-Rukuru area under a paramount chief called the Kyungu.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-Tanzania people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Nyakyusa-Ngonde.

Pray for the NgondePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Malawi
Population
194,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Tanzania
Primary language
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (nyy)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
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
Eastern Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Ngonde 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 Ngonde

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

85% adherents

Primary language

Nyakyusa-Ngonde · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Nyakyusa-Ngonde

Gospel resources in Nyakyusa-Ngonde

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

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Ngonde

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

Download a prayer guide

Nyakyusa, Ngonde in other countries

The same people (ROP3 107530) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
NyakyusaTanzania1,960,000No Longer Unreached

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