27/08/2025
Queen Nandi & Shaka Zulu
• Queen Nandi kaBhebhe (c. 1760–1827) was the mother of Shaka Zulu, who would grow into one of the most powerful and influential kings of the Zulu nation.
• She conceived Shaka with Senzangakhona kaJama, a minor Zulu chief, but the relationship was not formalized by marriage. This caused her to suffer social shame and humiliation, as bearing a child out of wedlock carried heavy stigma in her community.
• Despite this, she raised Shaka with strength, resilience, and determination, instilling in him values of leadership and discipline.
• Shaka would later unify the Zulu clans and establish the Zulu Kingdom, remembered as one of Africa’s greatest military and political leaders.
• Queen Nandi is honored today as a symbol of courage, perseverance, and motherhood under adversity.
