‘Real Shangaans’ are Nguni by blood. They intermarried with Vatsonga, and assimilated into Xitsonga and Vutsonga. Don’t confuse the two. If anything, Shangaans are Tsonga by assimilation, language & practice, not the other way round. #TsongaDrive #TsongaLessons #TsongaAndProud
I refer to ‘real Shangaans’ because there are Vatsonga who have no trace of Nguni blood, yet they proudly call themselves Shangaans. There are many reasons to that end: distorted history, inferiority dynamics, and ignorance.