People group profile · PG015342
The Tumbuka of Malawi
The Tumbuka of Malawi, numbering about 1,715,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a central Bantu ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Chitipa and Karonga districts of eastern Mali.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-South people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Tumbuka.
Fast facts
- Country
- Malawi
- Population
- 1,715,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Central-South
- Primary language
- Tumbuka (tum)
- 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
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Chitipa and Karonga districts: Lake Malawi west shore; Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Rumphi, and Mzimba districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Tumbuka 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 Tumbuka
- 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
94% adherents
Primary language
Tumbuka · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Tumbuka
Gospel resources in Tumbuka
- Bible available, published 2024
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- 2002 Bible Society of Malawi · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Tumbuka
- 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.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Tumbuka in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110273) is reported in 3 other countries.
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