People group profile · PG047984
The Plateau Tonga of Zambia
The Plateau Tonga of Zambia, numbering about 966,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Zambia.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-South people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Neo-Pentecostalism, and they primarily speak Tonga (Zambia).

Fast facts
- Country
- Zambia
- Population
- 966,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Central-South
- Primary language
- Tonga (Zambia) (toi)
- Primary religion
- Neo-Pentecostalism
- 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
- Eastern Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Plateau Tonga 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 Plateau Tonga
- 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
Neo-Pentecostalism · Christianity
Primary language
Tonga (Zambia) · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Tonga (Zambia)
Gospel resources in Tonga (Zambia)
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 1963 Bible Society of Zambia · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Plateau Tonga
- 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.
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