Bukalo is a village in

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. It is located in the

Zambezi Region The Zambezi Region, known as the Caprivi Region until 2013, is one of Namibia's fourteen regions, situated in the north-eastern part of the country along the Zambezi River. The region's capital is Katima Mulilo. The Katima Mulilo Airport is ...

, 43 kilometres southeast of

Katima Mulilo Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It had 46,401 inhabitants in 2023, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. It is located on the B8 national roa ...

, the regional capital. Bukalo is also the royal headquarters of the

Subia people The Ikuhane people, also known as the Subiya or Subia, are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to Southern Africa. They are part of the larger Lozi ethnic group and have significant populations in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia. Their languag ...

. It serves as the administrative centre of the Katima Mulilo Rural Constituency. As of 2023, Bukalo has a population of approximately 1,935.

Etymology

The name ''Bukalo'' means ''settlement'' in Chikuhane, the language of the Subia people. It reflects the early days when the area served as a royal homestead before it was formalised as a village.

History

Bukalo has long been a settlement of the

, a Bantu-speaking group native to southern Africa. The Subia are a tribe of the larger Lozi ethnic group, with significant populations in

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

, and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

. Under the leadership of King Lilundu Lituu (1640–1665), who succeeded his father King Ikuhane, the Subia migrated from the

Chobe River The Cuando (or Kwando) is a river in south-central Africa flowing through Angola and Namibia's Caprivi Strip and into the Linyanti Swamp on the northern border of Botswana. Below the swamp, the river is called the Linyanti River and, farther east ...

southwards and settled in present-day Botswana. In 1876, Mwanamwale and a group of Subia men crossed the

Zambezi River The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than half of t ...

and established his leadership at

Sesheke Sesheke is a border town in the Western Province, Zambia, Western Province of Zambia, in a Sesheke District, district of the same name. It lies on the northern bank of the Zambezi River which forms the border with Namibia, Namibia's Caprivi Stri ...

in Zambia. King Mutwa Liswani II (1965–1996) later established his royal palace at Bukalo in Namibia. To this day, Bukalo remains the royal headquarters of the Subia people—a centre of traditional governance where cultural events, royal ceremonies, and public meetings take place.

Governance

In 2013, the

Government of Namibia The government of Namibia consists of the executive, the legislative and the judiciary branches. The Cabinet is the executive organ of government, implementing the laws of the country. It consists of the president, the prime minister and his de ...

under former President

Hifikepunye Pohamba Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1935) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 Namibian presidential election, 2004 presidential election overwhelming ...

granted Bukalo official village status. Following its proclamation, the Bukalo Village Council was established to oversee local governance and development. The council is made up of elected councillors and is supported by a Chief Executive Officer, Anna Ntwala Sazita, who manages the village’s administration. The council is responsible for infrastructure development, land allocation, water services, and coordination with regional and traditional leaders.

Subia Royal Palace and Traditional Authority

At the heart of Bukalo lies the Subia Royal Palace, the official residence of the Subia King and the seat of the Subia Traditional Authority. The palace, founded by King Mutwa Liswani II, continues to function today under the leadership of King Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa. It is a place where matters of tradition, customary law, cultural identity, and heritage preservation are addressed. The King also plays a cross-border cultural role with Subia communities in

and

. The palace holds symbolic importance for the Subia people, who travel from across the region to attend royal ceremonies, dispute resolutions, and annual events.

Culture and Language

The majority of Bukalo’s population are Subia, a subgroup of the

Lozi people The Lozi people, also known as Balozi, are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to Southern Africa. They have significant populations in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Lozi language, Silozi, is used as the formal language in e ...

. The main language spoken is known as Chikuhane or Chisubia, although Silozi is widely understood and used as a lingua franca. The village hosts traditional ceremonies that showcase Subia dances, attire, and ancestral practices. As the seat of the royal palace, Bukalo plays a key role in preserving Subia customs and uniting Subia communities across Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana.

References

{{cite web , title=Namibia Area Codes , url=https://www.howtocallabroad.com/namibia/ , website=HowToCallAbroad.com , access-date=17 June 2025 Villages in Namibia Populated places in the Zambezi Region Populated places established in 2013 Barotseland Ethnic groups divided by international borders