The Zulu are regarded as a great warrior nation by other African tribes and are the most powerful of the native African groups in South Africa. They speak Isizulu. Young Zulu girls wear as a part of their traditional tribal dress. Different beads have different meanings and the tribe’s young men courting girls will give beads as tokens of love. Ancestor worship is common practice with the Zulu nation and the ancestors are called upon for advice with important decision-making.
They are the largest South African ethnic group, with an estimated 10–11 million people living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Small numbers also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. The Zulu Kingdom played a major role in South African history during the 19th and 20th centuries. Under apartheid, Zulu people were classed as third-class citizens and suffered from state-sanctioned discrimination. They remain today the most numerous ethnic group in South Africa, and now have equal rights along with all other citizens.