People group profile · PG048615
The Vezo of Madagascar
The Vezo of Madagascar, numbering about 635,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Malagasy people whose name literally means fishing people, identified not by ethnicity but by their maritime way of life along the southwest coast from Morondava to Faux Cap, documented since 1595 living off the sea they regard as sacred.
They are an indigenous people in the Malagasy people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Sakalava Malagasy.
Fast facts
- Country
- Madagascar
- Population
- 635,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malagasy
- Primary language
- Sakalava Malagasy (skg)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- 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 Vezo 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 Vezo
- 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
65% adherents
Primary language
Sakalava Malagasy · Austronesian family
100% speak Sakalava Malagasy
Gospel resources in Sakalava Malagasy
- Bible available, published 2006
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Vezo
- 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.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.