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People group profile · PG048116

The Ndali of Malawi

The Ndali of Malawi, numbering about 128,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu farming people native to Tanzania's Ileje District who expanded southward into northern Malawi over the past century in search of new farmland, cultivating maize, millet, and cassava alongside cattle and goats.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-Tanzania people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Ndali.

Pray for the NdaliPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Ndali people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Ndali

Fast facts

Country
Malawi
Population
128,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Tanzania
Primary language
Ndali (ndh)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
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

Where they live

Gospel status

The Ndali 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 Ndali

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

97% adherents

Primary language

Ndali · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Ndali

Gospel resources in Ndali

  • Bible available
  • 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 Ndali

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

Download a prayer guide

Ndali in other countries

The same people (ROP3 107148) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
NdaliTanzania435,000No Longer Unreached

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