Indaba Explained

An indaba (;^[1] in Xhosa pronounced as /íⁿd̥a̤ːɓa/) is an important conference held by the izinDuna (principal men) of the Zulu and Xhosa peoples of South Africa.^[2] (Such meetings are also practised by the Swazi, who refer to them using the close cognate .) Indabas may include only the izinDuna of a particular community, or they may be held with representatives of other communities.^[2]

The term "Indaba" comes from the Zulu and Xhosa languages. It means "business" or "matter".^[3]

Usage

The term is used by various organisations around the world for their meetups or conferences; for instance, the Wiki Indaba, South African Tourism's Africa’s Travel Indaba^[4] and Canonical's Ubuntu Indaba.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: This simple negotiation tactic brought 195 countries to consensus. 12 December 2015 .
2. Indaba . 14 . 371.
3. Book: Pettman, Charles. Africanderisms; a glossary of South African colloquial words and phrases and of place and other names. 1913. Longmans, Green and Co.. 225.
4. Web site: Africa's Travel Indaba 2023 . 2023-10-02 . www.tourism.gov.za.
5. Web site: Ubuntu OnAir - Indaba - YouTube . 2023-10-02 . www.youtube.com.