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People group profile · PG015383

The Koti of Mozambique

The Koti of Mozambique, numbering about 140,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Swahili-influenced Bantu trading people of Angoche and Koti Island on Mozambique's northern coast, descended from 15th-century Arab-Swahili settlers linking the Zambezi interior to Indian Ocean trade.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Makua-Yao people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Koti.

Pray for the KotiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Mozambique
Population
140,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Makua-Yao
Primary language
Koti (eko)
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
Nampula province: Angoche district, Angoche island coast area; Nampula city enclave

Where they live

Gospel status

The Koti 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 Koti

  • 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

90% adherents

Primary language

Koti · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Koti

Gospel resources in Koti

  • Bible available, published 2021
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

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

Pray for the Koti

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

Download a prayer guide

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