Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola
Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola

Nosizwe & Rudzi


An African Traditional Wedding joining two beautiful cultures, Zulu & Pedi. I love documenting these colourful and joyous occasions. Photographing weddings in South Africa is a privilege, we have an enormous variety of wedding celebrations. Not one can ever be the same. I really find it inspirational to be booked to photograph weddings all a over in South Africa and even more so to experiencing different cultures and religions.

Judith Belle South African Best Photographer Johannesburg Msanzi Traditional Pedi Zulu African Culture Lobola

Like most African wedding ceremonies, a South African wedding is vibrant with color, culture, music, and dancing. But before a Zulu wedding takes place, the groom and his family must first write a letter to the family of the future bride to formally ask for them to meet. The letter must clearly state their intention. It must also detail the exact date when the lobola (bride price) negotiation will take place. The bride’s family then replies to the letter by either confirming the set date or changing it to a date that they are more comfortable with. Side note: customs in Nigeria also include proposal letters. Those can be very elaborate!

After the lobola, the South African bride and groom will have a wedding ceremony which normally takes three days and starts on a Friday. On that day, the groom’s family goes to the bride’s family house. They watch each other dance and sing traditional songs. The “white” wedding happens the following day in the church. On Sunday, the bride is taken to her new home where the traditional wedding (Umabo) takes place.


The Zulu traditional wedding (Umabo) takes place at the family home of the groom. The bride will leave her home early in the morning, covered in a blanket. She is advised not to look back, so as not to invite bad luck. Her father takes her to her new family home and on arrival, she walks around the house to be introduced to her husband’s ancestors. She later enters the house through the kitchen before anyone notices her. The groom’s family then pays a penalty for not being aware of the bride.

Before the traditional wedding ceremony, the man’s family must first slaughter a cow to welcome the bride. On that day, the bride wears traditional clothes such as soft leather aprons and a beaded necklace and headdress. The groom wears a lion’s skin. The two families exchange gifts and have a dance-off. The latter symbolizes the bride leaving her ancestral home to join her husband’s.


Respecting elders and honoring ancestors is a large part of many African cultures. Therefore, a libation ceremony often takes place in major African events, including weddings. In many African traditional weddings (in Ghana, Burkina Faso and more countries), an elder is responsible to perform them. They pour holy water or alcohol on the ground. in each of the four cardinal directions. They then recite prayers to the ancestral spirits, and calls out the names of those that have recently passed away. This tradition is aimed to appease the ancestors and bless the bride and groom.