Northern Sotho of South Africa (PGID: PG033365)

The Northern Sotho of South Africa

The Northern Sotho of South Africa, numbering approximately 4,305,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Sotho-Tswana ethnolinguistic people indigenous to northeastern South Africa whose identity is rooted in Northern Sotho (Sepedi and related dialects), traditional chiefdoms, and a cultural heritage centered in Limpopo Province. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Pedi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Northern Sotho

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: South Africa
People Cluster: Bantu, Sotho-Tswana
Primary Language(s): Pedi (nso)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 4,305,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG033365
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Pray for the Northern Sotho of South Africa

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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

82%

Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Pedi
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%

Sotho, Northern Speakers

Media Resources in Pedi:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Pedi:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Pedi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Northern Sotho 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 Northern Sotho:

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 Northern Sotho of South Africa

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
Psalm 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.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Psalm 96:8

Pray for people here to humbly give God the glory due His name.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis 50:20

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will forgive those who do them harm and trust God as they walk in His ways.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
John 1:7

Pray that God will raise up witnesses to testify about Jesus so that all might believe, knowing that He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.

Pedi Across Countries (ROP3 - 107413) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

2 people groups

Photo	People Group ID	Name	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion ▼
	PG015670	Pedi	Zimbabwe	183,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Pedi	Protestantism
	PG033365	Northern Sotho	South Africa	4,305,000	No Longer Unreached	Pedi	Protestantism

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