Surname · isiZulu · iKalanga · isiNdebele (Northern Ndebele) · siSwati
Ngwenya
Also spelled Ngwena, Kwena/Mokoena.
Carried by the amaZulu, BaKalanga, amaNdebele (Matabeleland) and emaSwati.
isiZulu
An isithakazelo of the amaZulu.
- PeopleamaZulu
Recorded Praise Names
These are praise names, not a full recitation.
Mtimande iKalanga
A clan name of the BaKalanga, which the sources also call Kalanga.
- PeopleBaKalanga
- Totem Crocodile
- Recorded as, in the languages Kalanga families live in Mokoena, Ngwena, Kwena
isiNdebele (Northern Ndebele)
An isibongo of the amaNdebele (Matabeleland), which the sources also call Northern Ndebele.
- PeopleamaNdebele (Matabeleland)
- Grouping Crocodile totem; Bakwena-origin claim
- Surnames recorded Ngwenya
- Places recorded Matabeleland
- Branch Matabeleland
siSwati
A sinanatelo of the emaSwati, which the sources also call Swati.
- PeopleemaSwati
- Grouping disputed: Bemdzabuko (Wikipedia lists) | Emakhandzambili (Bonner as cited by Thwala 2013)
- Surnames recorded Ngwenya
- Places recorded Ndwandwe, Magudu, Dongonyane
Part of Tinanatelo: Swati clan praises
Written down by families and by the people who recorded them.
Where This Came From
- IZITHAKAZELO ZAMAZULU directory, community-compiled (see sources)
- Community compilation: iafrika.org
- Community compilation: zuluring.blogspot.com
- Community compilation: izithakazelo.blog
- Community compilation: izithakazeloizibongo.blogspot.com
- Community compilation: izithakazelo.wordpress.com
- TG Silundika Cultural Community Centre — tgsilundikaculturalcommunitycentre.org (read 2026-08-12)
- Mloyiswayizizwe Sokhela, Reconstruction of the Kalanga history welcome but beware of distortions! (opinion column, Bulawayo24, reprinted on ka…, 2012-05-09, Bulawayo24 / kalanga.org — https://kalanga.org/blogs/reconstruction-of-the-kalanga-history-welcome-but-beware-of-distortions/
- totems.co.zw (Zimbabwean community heritage site, uncredited), totems.co.zw - Ndebele Totems category (about thirty entries: Ngwenya, Khumalo, Nyoni, Dlamini, Mthunzi, Gumbo, Mnkan…, 2023-2025 (post dates), totems.co.zw — https://totems.co.zw/category/ndebele-totems/
- Wikipedia contributors, Bemdzabuko (English Wikipedia), read 2026-09-05, Wikimedia Foundation — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemdzabuko
- Wikipedia contributors, Bemdzabuko (English Wikipedia), read 2026-09-05, Wikimedia Foundation — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemdzabuko (and WIKI_SWAZI_PEOPLE versus THWALA2013 p.18)
Are You Ngwenya?
Put your name on the launch list.
Tell Me When It Opens Send This To Your Family
We write to you about Wozekhaya, and nothing else.
If Your Family Holds More Of This
A family saying its own izithakazelo knows them better than any directory does. If yours has more than what is on this page, it belongs here.