South Africa officially had ten Black cultural groups. These groups were segregated and forced to live in ten different homelands. Each nation had its own language and culture. However, the languages ​​spoken by black South Africans had more than a third of their vocabulary in common, which made it easier for members of different communities to understand them. The largest ethnic groups were the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazis, Tswana and Northern Sotho.

For example, the Zulus feel a special worship their ancestors who are deemed to have a direct influence on their lives, while respecting the Christian denominations. Traditional medicine is practiced, often in conjunction with modern medicine.

Having been converted long ago, most Blacks were Christian, especially Catholic, or Protestant. However, traditional religions were still practiced alongside Christianity. For example, the Zulus, while respecting Christian beliefs, felt a special devotion for their ancestors who were believed to have a direct influence on their lives. Traditional medicine was practiced, often in conjunction with modern medicine.

Music and dance are very popular in South African Black communities. At the time of apartheid, while all intellectual activity was prohibited, these forms of expression remained some of the few areas where apartheid did nothing to control or prohibit. Traditional dances generally express various events of daily life: war dances, dances of love or joy, dances to celebrate the worship of ancestors, etc.

Author:  Alexandre Lanoix

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