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People group profile · PG015391

The Makhuwa-Shirima of Mozambique

The Makhuwa-Shirima of Mozambique, numbering about 1,020,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a central Bantu ethnolinguistic group indigenous to Mozambique.

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

Pray for the Makhuwa-ShirimaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Makhuwa-Shirima people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Makhuwa-Shirima

Fast facts

Country
Mozambique
Population
1,020,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Makua-Yao
Primary language
Makhuwa-Shirima (vmk)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and 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: west; Niassa province; Zambezia province: northwest border

Where they live

Gospel status

The Makhuwa-Shirima are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Makhuwa-Shirima

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

60% adherents

Primary language

Makhuwa-Shirima · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Makhuwa-Shirima

Gospel resources in Makhuwa-Shirima

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

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

Pray for the Makhuwa-Shirima

  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.

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