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People group profile · PG015606

The Mashi of Zambia

The Mashi of Zambia, numbering about 112,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a middle Zambezi Bantu ethnic group indigenous to the border area of southwestern Zambia and southeastern Angola.

They are an indigenous people in the Khoisan people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Mashi (Zambia).

Pray for the MashiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Zambia
Population
112,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Khoisan
Primary language
Mashi (Zambia) (mho)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Western province

Where they live

Gospel status

The Mashi 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 Mashi

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

60% adherents

Primary language

Mashi (Zambia) · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Mashi (Zambia)

Gospel resources in Mashi (Zambia)

  • Bible available, published 2023
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not 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 Mashi

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

Masi, Mashi in other countries

The same people (ROP3 106380) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MashiNamibia300Engaged yet Unreached

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