The Manyika of Mozambique

The Manyika of Mozambique, numbering approximately 291,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Shona-speaking people whose precolonial kingdom was founded around 1500 as a vassal state of the Mutapa Empire, renowned for gold mined in the Manicaland highlands and traded to Swahili coastal city-states. They mostly adhere to Animism and Manyika is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Manyika

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Mozambique
People Cluster: Bantu, Shona
Primary Language(s): Manyika (mxc)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 291,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG015397
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Manyika of Mozambique

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

57%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Manyika
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Manyika Speakers

Media Resources in Manyika:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Manyika:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Manyika bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Manyika are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Manyika:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Manyika of Mozambique

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
readRomans 1:19

Pray that God will use testimony of creation to cause those who do not yet know the gospel to long for truth and a relationship with the Author of life.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
readJohn 8:12

Pray that many will come to know Jesus, the light of the world, and have the light of life instead of walking in darkness.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.
readRomans 4:20

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will not waver but will grow strong in their belief, knowing that the Lord rewards those who seek Him.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe."
readJohn 6:35-36

Praise God for the things such as bread that He has provided as natural conversation bridges to the gospel. Pray that believers will use any bridges He provides to share the gospel with those who do not yet know the good news.

Manyika Across Countries (ROP3 - 106289) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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