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AAt Gooderson DumaZulu Traditional Zulu Village, visitors are invited to experience authentic hospitality and learn about traditional arts, crafts and ways of life of the Zulu Kingdom. Experience the beat of the Zulu drums, taste the locally brewed beer and discover the rich cultural significance of Zululand’s famous beadwork, basketry, pottery and weaving.
DumaZulu Traditional Zulu Village is a place where you can watch beaders at work, learn about the art of basket weaving and see how men craft the spears, shields and drums for which this warrior nation is famous.
The Zulu are also known for their beadwork, basketry, pottery and weaving, and these skills are preserved and practised in cultural villages like DumaZulu.
As well as being beautifully made, Zulu artefacts have cultural significance because of the way in which Zulu social values are integrated into their arts and crafts. For example, the colours, colour combinations and patterns found in traditional Zulu beadwork are more than simply decorative.
Traditionally, they are a means of communication, helping to regulate social behaviour and teach young girls about how to behave in relationships. Some designs are only worn at weddings or other social rituals. Others are messages of love, grief or uncertainty; emotions that are conveyed through the selection of colours and patterns.
Basket weaving is similarly complex and linked to a wide range of domestic, social, and religious roles. Traditionally Zulu women weave the African Zulu baskets using techniques that are passed down from generation to generation. The patterns vary from decorative bands to intricate triangles, diamonds, zig-zags and other motifs, each with their own meaning.
For example, points round the outside of a diamond design are associated with weddings and show how many cattle were paid as bride wealth. Other complexities indicate things like the bride's position in the new family (as first, second or third wife) and her status within the community.
A visit to this Zulu cultural village will also give you an opportunity to learn about Zulu customs around food and beer brewing, the role of the ancestors and traditional healers known as ‘inyangas', the significance of traditional dress, the importance of a man's cattle, and courtship and marriage rituals.
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Who to contact
Gooderson DumaZulu Traditional Zulu Village
Lot H29 Bushlands Road
Hluhluwe
KwaZulu Natal
Tel: +27 (0)35 562 2260
Email: dumazulu@goodersons.co.za
How to get here
The closest airport is at Richard's Bay, which is a short drive to Hluhluwe.
Best time to visit
Thanks to Kwa-Zulu Natal's largely tropical climate, the village is good to visit all year round.
Things to do
There is a snake and crocodile park housing indigenous reptiles adjacent to the village, and you'll be close to the legendary Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve.
Length of stay
If you have the time, extend your experience and stay overnight in traditional accommodation.
What to pack
Bring along a hat, sunblock, comfortable shoes and, of course, your camera.
Where to stay
DumaZulu Lodge offers themed accommodation that represents a wide selection of South African cultures.
What to eat
Enjoy a traditional meal as part of your cultural experience.
Best buys
Many of the objects fashioned at the village are for sale and serve as an important source of income for local people. Look out for traditional Zulu beer baskets or ‘ukhamba’, which, when made by a master weaver, are desirable collectors’ items.
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