What do Ndebele wear?

A married woman wears the”ijogolo”, a five-finger shaped apron, after the birth of her first child. She also wears a blanket she wraps around her shoulders called “Nguba”.

This blanket is decorated with beads that are milestones to significant events in her life.

She also wears a headgear as a sign of respect shown to her husband. She also wears a neck hoop, isigolwani, made of grass and beads.

The Ndebele man also wears lots of jewelry. He wears a beaded patterned apron made from a wild cat’s skin.

Ndebele brides wear rings made from copper and brass

around their neck, arms and legs. This is symbolic of the bond they have with their husband. These rings are worn by the wife for as long as her husband is alive. She only takes them off when he dies.

Ndebeles are known for wearing lots of jewelry, in fact the richer a man is the more rings his wife would adorn.

These days, wearing of these rings have become more ceremonial.