People group profile · PG015544
The Tswana of South Africa
The Tswana of South Africa, numbering about 4,240,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Sotho-Tswana people of southern Africa descended from Bantu-speaking communities that established chiefdoms across the interior grasslands of present-day South Africa and Botswana.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Sotho-Tswana people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Tswana.
Fast facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Population
- 4,240,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Sotho-Tswana
- Primary language
- Tswana (tsn)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Free State province: between Bloemfontein and Kimberley; Gauteng province: southwest of Pretoria; Limpopo province: Waterberg municipality; North-West province; Northern Cape province: northeast
Where they live
Gospel status
The Tswana 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Tswana
- 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
90% adherents
Primary language
Tswana · Atlantic-Congo family
95% speak Tswana
Gospel resources in Tswana
- Bible available
- JESUS Film 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 Tswana
- 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Tswana in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110225) is reported in 3 other countries.
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