Today Zambia officially has 72 ethnic kin groups, as recognized by the government. Several of these speak the same language. According to Wycliffe, Zambians speak 38 distinct Bantu languages, not including dialects (see www.ethnologue.com).
Wycliffe's 38 Zambian Bantu Languages
Aushi Mbukushu
Bemba Mbunda
Bwile Nkoya
Chokwe Nsenga
Ila Nyamwanga
Kaonde Nyanja
Khwe Nyiha
Kunda Sala
Lala-Bisa Settla
Lamba Shona
Lenje Simaa
Lozi Soli
Luchazi Subiya
Lunda Taabwa
Luvale Tonga
Luyana Totela
Mambwe-Lungu Tumbuka
Mashi Yao
Mbowe Yauma
In addition, there are numerous speakers of Afrikaans, Gujarati, Fanagalo, and English. The official languages of the nation are English and six Bantu languages. English is the language of education, government, and commerce. The six Bantu languages are used for various official purposes, such as radio and television broadcasts. These six are: Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, and Tonga.
Information on some of these peoples will be placed here later. For now, you might want to see John's doctoral project on the “Resources” tab. It contains information on leadership development among the Goba, Bemba, Ngoni, and Luapula peoples.
Further Information:
http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/dc/index.htm
This is a U.K. based site concerning economic issues. The have chosen Zambia as an example of a developing economy. Their site will give you a good feel for what life is like for most Zambians today.
http://www.times.co.zm/
Website of the the Times of Zambia, a local newspaper. Their home page will give you the current headlines.
http://allafrica.com/zambia/
This site has stories about Zambia from both local and international sources. It is updated almost every day.
