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

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
readGenesis 3:15

Pray that those without Christ will hear the words of Genesis 1-3 in their own language, and desire to know their Creator and His provision of salvation.

And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
readActs 6:7

Pray that the Word of God will be increasingly available to these people in ways they will resonate with so that all may have a chance to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
readHebrew 4:16

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will boldly draw near to God as they approach Him in prayer, receive His mercy, and find grace for help in their time of need.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
readPsalm 67:1-2

Pray that as God blesses believers from among this people group or from nearby cultures, He will raise them up to share His saving power among the nations.

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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