The Southwestern Dinka of South Sudan

The Southwestern Dinka of South Sudan, numbering approximately 1,835,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a regional cluster within the Nilotic Dinka whose transhumant cattle-keeping shapes marriage, ritual, and status more than commerce, moving herds between riverine dry-season pastures and savanna settlements each year. They mostly adhere to African Traditional Religion and Southwestern Dinka is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Dinka, Southwestern

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: South Sudan
People Cluster: Nilotic
Primary Language(s): Southwestern Dinka (dik)
Primary Religion(s): African Traditional Religion
Population: 1,835,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG012009
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Southwestern Dinka of South Sudan

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: African Traditional Religion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

80%
%
African Traditional Relig… Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Southwestern Dinka
Language Family: Nilotic

90%
%
Dinka, Southwestern Speakers

Media Resources in Southwestern Dinka:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Southwestern Dinka:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2006 Bible League Intl.✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Southwestern Dinka bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Southwestern Dinka are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Southwestern Dinka:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Southwestern Dinka of South Sudan

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
readPsalm 18:31

As people look to their own efforts for hope, pray they will have the opportunity to learn and believe in the Lord, who is the only Rock worthy of their faith.

The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.
readMatthew 4:16

Pray that those who dwell in darkness and live in the land of the shadow of death may be drawn out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of host.
readJeremiah 15:16

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will find joy and delight in the Word of the Lord.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
readPsalm 23:6

Ask God to raise up believers who will share the hope that, for those who trust in Christ, goodness and love will follow them all the days of their lives, and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Western Dinka, Rek Across Countries (ROP3 - 110778) 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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