The Practice of Lobola in Contemporary South African Society

Abstract

In some African countries, for example, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho, the tradition of paying Lobola for a wife is common practice. According to this tradition, marriage is a contract between families and not just individuals, so the transfer of cattle from the relatives of the bridegroom to those of the bride serves to legitimize the marriage and to ensure certain rights. The most important of these rights is that the children of the marriage would legally belong to the father’s lineage group.