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The Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the, numbering approximately 1,510,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a matrilineal people of southwestern DRC related to the Suku, whose 16th-century kingdom invaded Kongo from the Lunda Plateau before subservience under the 1620 Lunda expansion, regaining independence after the Lunda-Chokwe empire's collapse. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-South
Primary Language(s): Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) (yaf)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 1,510,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG014746
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Pray for the Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

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.

Pray Now!
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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

78%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Yaka (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Speakers

Media Resources in Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo):

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

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Bible Resources in Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo):

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

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SPI: No longer Unreached

The Yaka 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 Yaka:
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 Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
readIsaiah 45:5-6

Pray that the lost among them will be delivered from the confusion of false beliefs and come to know the one true God who alone brings light and purpose to their lives.

Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia."
readRomans 16:5

Pray for houses to be meeting places for Christians and that God will advance the gospel and grow His Church through natural familial and community relationships.

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
readDeuteronomy 7:9

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will know God's faithful love and keep His commandments, experiencing His steadfast care.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
readJohn 1:5

Pray that when discouraging days come, those who cross cultures for the sake of the gospel will be comforted as they remember that the light of Christ is stronger than the darkness that surrounds them.

Yaka Across Countries (ROP3 - 110931) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountry ▼PopulationStrategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
YakaPG014746YakaCongo, Democratic Republic of the1,510,000No Longer UnreachedYaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)Roman Catholicism
YakaPG015208YakaAngola312,000No Longer UnreachedYaka (Congo)Ethnoreligion

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

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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