Ancient African Queen - Queen Nandi

Queen Nandi was the mother of Shaka Zulu, one of the Zulu kingdom’s greatest kings. The Zulu nation was a superpower in the Southern African region. Queen Nandi’s story is one of resilience as a mother, and one of hope against social pressures.

Historians say that she fell pregnant with Shaka Zulu out of wedlock. Shaka was King Senzangakhona’s son. She endured great humiliation but remained steadfast with raising her son.

During Shaka’s reign, Queen Nandi had significant influence over the affairs of the kingdom. She was the voice of reason during times of political strife with neighboring kingdoms. King Shaka was able to go on many exploits because of her support. He extended the borders of the Zulu kingdom over a period of 12 years.

Zulu dignitaries and people marked Queen Nandi’s death with a long period of mourning. They called this period, “Isililo SikaNandi.”