People group profile · PG015519
The Nama of South Africa
The Nama of South Africa, numbering about 99,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an African ethnic group of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
They are a diaspora people in the Khoisan people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Khoekhoe.

Fast facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Population
- 99,500
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Khoisan
- Primary language
- Khoekhoe (naq)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- 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
- Southern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Northern Cape province
Where they live
Gospel status
The Nama 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 Nama
- 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
Primary language
Khoekhoe · Khoe-Kwadi family
100% speak Khoekhoe
Gospel resources in Khoekhoe
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Khoekhoegowab)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Nama
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
Nama in other countries
The same people (ROP3 107050) is reported in 2 other countries.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.