The Venda people, also known as VhaVenda or Vhangona, are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group primarily residing in the northern parts of South Africa, near the border with Zimbabwe. They are known for their vibrant culture, ancient history, and distinctive language, TshiVenda, which evolved from interactions with Sotho-Tswana and Kalanga groups as early as the 1400s. The Venda people’s origins are deeply connected to the 13th-century Kingdom of Mapungubwe, one of Southern Africa’s earliest advanced states. According to oral tradition, King Shiriyadenga was the first ruler of both the Venda and the Mapungubwe Kingdom. This ancient kingdom extended from the Soutpansberg Mountains in South Africa to the Matopos Hills in Zimbabwe.…