S. Sithole, 44926987 

South Africa has four ethnic groups namely ; Black South Africans typically referred to as Africans or blacks (81.4%), White South Africans knowned to most as "Abelungu" (7.3%), Coloureds who may have ancestry from African, European, and Asian people (8.2%), then we have Indian South Africans (2.7%). From all these beautiful ethnicities, I fall under the African ethnicity. The Black South African ethnicity is composed of several major tribes or ethnic groups that speak Southern Bantu languages which are ; Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Swazi, Shangaan-Tsonga, Venda, Pedi, Tswana and Ndebele. These tribes share cultural elements, such as family-based society, farming, cultivation, and belief in the value of ancestors.

The first thing that is endogenous to the Black/African ethnicity is the importance of ancestors. We believe that ancestors act as a connection to God, and that offerings to these spirits can bring wealth and good fortune. They cultivate a relationship with the higher being, God. We have mystics or sangomas who are in charge of healing and 'divining', which is a form of fate telling and counseling. Ancestors must call on these traditional healers. On the day of initiation, they are subjected to rigorous training and learn a variety of "Ukuthwasa" talents, such as how to work with herbs for healing and other, more magical skills, such as finding a concealed object without knowing its location. Ancestor worship is strongly established in ancient African faiths. The people who passed away ancestors are thought to preserve a spiritual link with the living. We worship our ancestors through practices like prayer, offerings, and seeking guidance from ancestral spirits. These practices often involve offerings of beer, meat, and other items to honor and communicate with the ancestors. Sweets and toys are offered to those ancestors who died as babies. Furthermore, spiritual leaders like as sangomas play an important role in bodily and spiritual healing, along with giving direction based on ancestral beliefs.

The second thing I believe is endogenous to the Black/South African ethnicity is the significance of cattle herding and subsistence farming in traditional livelihoods. As a girl who was brought up in Kwa-Zulu Natal I can safely say that practice cattle herding and subsistence farming is an integral part of our livelihood. Cattle herding involves tending to herds for various purposes like milk, meat, and as a symbol of wealth and status. We grew up knowing that any household that had many cattle was rich, had a father figure and held  a great reputation. Everyone in the village respected households with more livestock. Fortunately for me, I came from such a family. My grandfather had many cattle that he had to employ herdmen known as "Abelusi". He was greatly respected by the whole village and he rubbed shoulders with the village chiefs. Subsistence farming includes cultivating crops for personal consumption and sale. Since my family was well off, my grandma cultivated crops for personal consumption. We'd eat the cabbages, pumpkins, peppers and sweetcorn among the many other things she planted. Some families cultivated and sold the products to make a living while some like us cultivated for personal consumption.