N'cwala (Ngoni)
Traditional and popular parties · Chipata, Zambia
The festival
In Mtenguleni, near Chipata, in eastern Zambia, the N'cwala is the first fruits ceremony of the Ngoni people. Every year, on the last Saturday of February, the Paramount Chief Mpezeni solemnly tastes the first fruits of the harvest, in homage to God and the ancestors, before all the people can reap. Ngoni warrior dances, drums and praises also tell the memory of the great migration from southern Africa.
Forbidden under colonization, the ceremony was officially relaunched in 1980 by Paramount Chief Mpezeni III; the 2026 edition was held on 28 February 2026, and no 2027 edition is yet officially announced.
Good to know
A date 2027 (27 February) is circulating on unofficial websites; it is not confirmed by the organization.