''Mambo'' is a
Bantu title roughly equivalent to "king". It is most closely associated with the precolonial
Shona states, such as the
Rozvi and
Mutapa empires. ''Mambo'' often also fulfilled religious duties as
sacred kings. In the
Maravi Empire, ''mambo'' became a title for junior leaders.
Nowadays, in Shona ''mambo'' can be used as a respectful form of address.
References
{{reflist
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Pre-colonial history of Zimbabwe