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Home is where the hut is
Traditional African architecture
A traditional African hut.
© City of Johannesburg
Did you know?
British Airways featured a traditional Ndebele-inspired design by Martha Masanabo, on the tail fin of some of their planes.
Visitors to South Africa can view traditional African architecture in roadside villages as you drive around the country, but you have to know what you're looking for as each tribe has its own distinctive style.
Zululand is located along the eastern coast of South Africa. Here you will find the traditional "beehive" houses of this tribe - layers of grass covering a wooden framework. These huts are laid out in a circle around a central cattle kraal, a similar layout to the Xhosa huts in the south-east of the country, although their huts tend to be made of painted mud.
In the 1800s, Shaka Zulu sent a warrior, Soshangana, to conquer the Tsonga people to the north. Instead, the warrior was very taken with these peace-loving people and their round, patterned huts with thatched roofs, so he made his home with them, and they took his name to become known as the Shangaan.
The Venda people live to the South of the Limpopo. Their houses are traditionally circular, surrounded by deep verandahs. These are similar to those built by the Tswana, Pedi and Tsonga, but their plastered ceilings are painted on the inside with concentric patterns known as "the eye of the lion".
Visit Sotho villages in the southern Highveld and in Lesotho - although these days you'd be hard-pressed to find the traditional snout-like entrance to the dwellings.
And any round-up of South African tribal architecture would be incomplete without a visit to an Ndebele village - north-east of Pretoria - with their unique polychromatic wall art.
If you don't have the time to visit all the different regions, at the Lesedi cultural village, just north of Johannesburg, you can take a tour of representations of Ndebele, Zulu, Basotho, Xhosa and Pedi villages.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Shangana Cultural Village - Mpumalanga
Web: http://www.shangana.co.za/
Tel: +27 (0) 13 737 5805
Email: chief@shangana.co.za
Shakaland - KwaZulu-Natal
Web: www.shakaland.com
Tel: +27 (0) 35 460 0912
Email: res@shakaland.com
Lesedi Cultural Village - Gauteng
Web: www.lesedi.com
Tel: +27 (0) 87 940 9933
Email: enquiries@lesedi.com
How to get here
All major cities are accessible by airports, and smaller destinations are serviced by an effective road network.
Tours to do
Contact the cultural villages or any of the local tour companies to find out about tours.
Get around
Hire a car or take a tour to visit the villages of your choice.
What will it cost
Day entry into cultural villages ranges from approx R300 to approx R2 000, depending on location and what additional options like (dinner and dance) you want to add to the trip.
Length of stay
A visit to a cultural visillage usually takes up half a day.
What to pack
Sunscreen and hats for day visits. Mosquito repellent and a warm jersey for the cooler evenings.
Where to stay
Some cultural villages have accommodation so that visitors can stay overnight to really experience the ambience.
What to eat
You should definitely make a point of sampling the delicious local cuisine, but if you’re squeamish, always ask what you’re being served – offal, mopane worms and grasshoppers sometimes feature on the menu. And sorghum beer packs a punch.
Best buys
Beadwork, leatherwork, pottery, ostrich eggs, jewellery… the world is your cultural village.