Indaba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An indaba (/ɪnˈdɑːbə/;[1] Xhosa pronunciation: [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 indzaba.) 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[edit]

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]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "This simple negotiation tactic brought 195 countries to consensus". 12 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Indaba" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 371.
  3. ^ Pettman, Charles (1913). Africanderisms; a glossary of South African colloquial words and phrases and of place and other names. Longmans, Green and Co. p. 225.
  4. ^ "Africa's Travel Indaba 2023". www.tourism.gov.za. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  5. ^ "Ubuntu OnAir - Indaba - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2023-10-02.