Xhosa Society

2011 Xhosa Society Evening

The umButho woBuntu (Xhosa society) spent many weeks planning for our annual Xhosa evening which took place on August 25th.  With the theme of "Amava eAfrika" (Out of Africa), the girls came dressed as their favourite animals.  We were entertained by the school's Marimba band, a Lion King - themed gumboot dance and various other performances by Xhosa students.  We also enjoyed a small taste of traditional food which included isonka samanzi (steam bread) with chakalaka and umphokoqo, amagwinya and delicious Transkei mud.  The evening was a huge success and was enjoyed by all.

Previous events

On Wednesday the 11th August, Xhosa students from grade eight to matric assembled in the music hall for a night of ‘South African Pride’. It was a festive night for all, filled with laughter, amazing food and a whole lot of ‘gees’. Girls performed humorous adverts, meaningful poems and a rather entertaining intsomi, ( folk tale) in Xhosa for us all, and the AmaAmbusch Marimbas were received by thunderous applause and an encore. To end off the night the matrics performed their Waka Waka dance and we all stood united singing the national anthem.

On the 11th of March the Xhosa Society visited Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where a Xhosa-speaking tour guide, Bongani, showed us around. He explained the significance and use of many plants traditional to the Xhosa culture and explained the fascinating lifestyle of the Xhosa people in their ooronta (round huts/homesteads).

It was an interesting and informative tour and Bongani said that we were the first tour he has taken in the past twenty years that he has been able to speak in his mother tongue. It was a wonderful experience for us all and we left having learnt a lot more about Xhosa culture.