Exploring the beauty of Sepedi culture | Heritage Month
September marks Heritage Month in South Africa, which gives citizens an opportunity to celebrate and embrace the nation’s diverse cultural backgrounds.
This heritage month, IOL is highlighting and honouring South Africa’s diverse heritage by understanding and delving into South Africa’s rich and beautiful different cultures.
In South Africa, there are about an estimated 7 million Sotho speakers, however Sotho is subdivided into three groups.
The first group being the Northern Sotho which are called Bapedi or Pedi group, followed by Southern Sotho which is Sesotho and Western Sotho know as Tswana.
Within the Pedi group, there are many clans as well which include the Pulana, Lozi, Kgalagadi and Tlôkwa clans.
The Sepedi Language
The Sepedi language consists of many dialects, which mainly depends on where you come from in Limpopo.
This is why you will find that many Sepedi speaking people have different meanings or words for one item.
For example, there is Selobedu and Sepulana which have their own dialect which is completely different from the main language spoken in many Sepedi homes.
The colourful Sepedi weddings
The Pedi tribe is known for going all out for their colourful and over the top weddings as well as their lively music and the wedding dances.
In every Sepedi wedding, there is a lot of pre-wedding celebrations which take place before the actual wedding in order to appease and join ancestors from the groom and bride families.
“Magadi” which is also known as “lobola” negotiations, is part of the pre-wedding preparations.
Bapedi are known for having many pre-wedding celebrations, another one is called “Go Laya” where the elders of the family meet to give the couple marriage advice to have a successful marriage.
@sehoraneleseilane Replying to @Tumi Here you go 🫶🏽 Nothing like a Royal wedding 🥹 #sepedi #sepediwedding #sepeditiktok #sepeditraditionalattire ♬ original sound - Noko Ya Mohlake
Bapedi cultural practises
The Pedi tribe practises many cultural customs and also take part in many cultural practices, the main one is called “Go phasa” where a family can either choose to sacrifice an animal or present sorghum beer to communicate with their ancestors for many reasons. It is also crucial for the families to use snuff in order to communicate with their ancestors.
Pedi people also go to initiation schools, which is called “Koma”. There are initiation school for females and males. According to an article by South Africa Online, the significance of the initiation school is to receive formal instruction on the work and duties of women and men.
Bapedi Music
Bapedi tribe has vast music excluding the popular genre which is called “Dikoša tša manyalo” which is mainly the only genre that is played amongst Bapedi and played during weddings.
The different types of cultural music include Mpepetlwane which is played by young girls. Mmatshidi, played by women and men.
Dinaka, which in the olden days was only played by men and young boys, but these days women take part as well. Makgakgasa is played by women.
Bapedi dish
Some traditional food that you can expect from the Bapedi tribe include thopi, masotja, morogo and dikgobe. Thopi is maize meal mixed with melon.
Masotja are known as Mopani worms. Dikgobe is coarsely ground corn or samp.
Bapedi attire
Bapedi people are also known for their stunning traditional attires which consist of very colourful and bright colours which include pink, blue, yellow, white and green.
These are the most popular and go to colours that you will find in every Sepedi wedding. The rich and vibrant colours represent happiness.
IOL