The Mambwe are an ethnic and linguistic group from
Rukwa Region,
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
and northeastern
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
. Like the Namwanga and other regional ethnic tribes, the Mambwe are said to have migrated from North East Africa. In 1987 the Mambwe population in Tanzania was estimated to number 63,00
The number of Mambwe in Zambia has not been independently estimated, though the combined number of Mambwe and
Lungu in Zambia was estimated to be 262,800 in 199
The mambwe people of Zambia are known to be great businessmen owing to their interaction to their close cousins; the Namwanga, Swahili and Arabs traders. They also distinguish the last names for males and females, like the Namwanga people, by applying prefixes "Si" and "Na" to be the first two letters of the last name e.g. Simwinga (Male) Namwinga (Female),
Simpokolwe (Male) Nampokolwe (Female)
Sikazwe (Male) & Nakazwe , Silupya (Male) & Nalupya (Female), Sinyangwe (Male) & Nanyangwe (Female), Sikasula (Male) & Nakasula (Female), Sinkamba (Male) & Nankamba (Female), Simusokwe (Male) & Namusokwe (Female), Sikasote (Male) & Nakasote (Female), Simfukwe (Male) & Namfukwe (Female), Sinkala (Male) & Nankala (Nankala), Simbela (Male) & Nambela (Female), Sichilima (Male) Nachilima (Female) Simpungwe & nampungwe,simbeya(male) & nambeya(female) etc.
A meal of beans ("choli") and okra ("kumbi") are a mambwe staple and delicacy.
The
Mambwe language and
Cilungu, the Lungu language, are distinguished by minor dialect differences. The Mambwe people are known to be polygamous (impali), although this trend is slowly changing with religious affiliations, and advancements in modern schooling and trends. Like other African people, marriage is very important, although girls are known to marry earlier, often with pressure coming from parents and other relatives.
Ethnic groups in Tanzania
Ethnic groups in Zambia
Indigenous peoples of East Africa
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