The Sotho people (Basotho or Basuto) are an Africa ethnic group whose ancestors have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century.
The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe, who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century. Most Basotho today live in South Africa, as the area of the Free State was originally part of Lesotho.
Population: 5.3 million (2011 Census)
Regions where Sotho South Africans live: Many Basotho live the Free State but also have a dense population in and Lesotho
Languages: Sesotho
Famous Sotho people: Letsie III (King of Lesotho) and Tsepo Tshola (musician)
Traditional attire: Sotho girls’ initiation known as ‘bale’ includes wearing beaded masks and goat-skin skirts. The girls smear their bodies with a chalky white substance.
Watch these videos to see the Sotho South African culture:
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