The Somali Bantu: History,
Religion, Customs, and Education
History of the Bantu
Pre-15th century: Thriving economy in east Africa
15th century: Portuguese arrive
1730: Portuguese kicked out, Sultanate of Oman in charge
18th -19th century: Slavery becomes widespread
Africans taken from Mozambique & Tanzania into slavery
under Sultanate
History of the Bantu
1800-1890: Between 25,000 and 50,000 slaves were absorbed into
the Somali riverine areas
Early 1900’s-Slavery “abolished” by Italy
Mid-1930s- Labor laws in agriculture industry BY Italians
1970s-80s: Somali government made Bantu fight in military
against Ethiopia.
1991- Civil War
Now- Bantu exist in a state between sharecropping and
slavery
Marriage Customs
Many Bantu marry between the ages of 16
and 18.
Somali Bantu practice
polygamy.
The average Somali Bantu family size is
between 4 and 8 children.
Style of Dress
Bantu women
cover themselves
with head scarves
and wear large
wrap around
cloths called a
gonfo.
Diet
The Somali Bantu have
traditionally eaten what
they can grow and catch.
Somali Bantu Behavior and
Communication Style
Somali Bantu
communities
place great
importance on
showing respect
for elders.
Somali Bantu people are
not accustomed to
answering questions in a
linear, sequential way.
Language and Literacy
The two main Somali regional language
variants are Af Maay and Af Maxaa.
The Somali Bantu primarily speak Af Maay or
an ancestral tribal language.
Most Bantu are illiterate.
Emotional Issues
The years of subjugation and fear have adversely
affected the Somali Bantu people’s sense of equality
and self-esteem.
Many children who enter into school come from a
history of violence and emotional trauma.
Somali Bantu Religion
Testimony of Faith: There is no deity but God (Allah) and
Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God
Prayer: Daily at Dawn, Noon, Mid-Afternoon, Sunset and Night.
Each prayer takes a few minutes.
Fasting: Total abstinence from food and liquid from dawn
to sunset during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj: Annual pilgrimage to Makkah at least once for those
who are physically and financially able.