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People group profile · PG050123

The Makhuwa-Marrevone of Mozambique

The Makhuwa-Marrevone of Mozambique, numbering about 841,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a central Bantu ethnolinguistic group indigenous to Mozambique.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Makua-Yao people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Makhuwa-Marrevone.

Pray for the Makhuwa-MarrevonePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Mozambique
Population
841,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Makua-Yao
Primary language
Makhuwa-Marrevone (xmc)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
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
Location
Nampula province: inland from Angoche and Moma; Zambezia province: Nova Nabori inland to Amela

Where they live

Gospel status

The Makhuwa-Marrevone 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 Makhuwa-Marrevone

  • 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

Sunni Islam · Islam

80% adherents

Primary language

Makhuwa-Marrevone · Atlantic-Congo family

95% speak Makhuwa-Marrevone

Gospel resources in Makhuwa-Marrevone

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Makhuwa-Marrevone

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

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