People group profile · PG015549
The Xhosa of South Africa
The Xhosa of South Africa, numbering about 9,970,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Xhosa-speaking Bangu ethnic group indigenous to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Nguni people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Xhosa.
Fast facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Population
- 9,970,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Nguni
- Primary language
- Xhosa (xho)
- 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
- Eastern Cape province: east of Middelburg and Port Elizabeth; Northern Cape province: southeast Pixley ka Seme municipality; KwaZulu-Natal province: Ugu and Sisonke municipalities; Free State: border area, west of Lesoth
Where they live
Gospel status
The Xhosa 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 Xhosa
- 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
60% adherents
Primary language
Xhosa · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Xhosa
Gospel resources in Xhosa
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings 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 Xhosa
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- 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.
Xhosa in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110893) is reported in 2 other countries.
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