South African Indian vegetable recipe Shimla mirch ki sabzi is made with eight fragrant spices.

This South African Indian vegetable curry recipe will please everyone.

South African Indian recipe Shimla mirch ki sabzi is a timeless Indian recipe made of green peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and eight spices. This simple South African Indian curry food recipe is a staple dish in many Durban South African Indian homes.

South African Indian Vegetable Curry Recipe.

Ingredients
3 large green bell peppers, sliced fine
2 large potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
10 fresh coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup water

Directions
Over medium high heat, add oil into a large frying pan, sauté onions, tomatoes, ginger, coriander leaves and garlic, together with cumin and coriander powders for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Serve over rice.

Shimla mirch ki sabzi is a timeless Indian recipe

South African Indian recipe created with aromatic spices filled with special South African Indian essence will satisfy every appetite. Serves 4
Indian South African food

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Love African Proverbs

Love African Proverbs

Love African proverbs translated into French, Creole, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. Love African proverbs teach love is a variety of different feelings that each benefit from the relationship.

Love African Proverbs

Laughter is exterior, but love is in the heart.

He who loves you, loves you with your dirt.

Where there is love there is no darkness.

Love attracts happiness; it brings near that which is far.

Love and smoke are two things that cannot be concealed.

Love has its reasons, which reasons it does not know.

Do not throw your hook where there are no fish.

Shelter your candle and it will give you light.

A woman who lost her rival has no sorrow.

If you love honey, fear not the bees.

Aimez les proverbes africains

Le rire est extérieur, mais l'amour est dans le cœur.

Celui qui vous aime, vous aime avec votre saleté.

Là où il y a de l'amour, il n'y a pas d'obscurité.

L'amour attire le bonheur; ça rapproche ce qui est loin.

L'amour et la fumée sont deux choses qui ne peuvent pas être cachées.

L'amour a ses raisons, quelles raisons il ne sait pas.

Ne jetez pas votre hameçon là où il n'y a pas de poisson.

Abritez votre bougie et cela vous donnera de la lumière.

Une femme qui a perdu son rival n'a pas de chagrin.

Si vous aimez le miel, ne craignez pas les abeilles.

Renmen Afriken Pwovèb

Ri se eksteryè, men renmen se nan kè an.

Moun ki renmen ou, renmen ou ak pousyè tè ou.

Kote ki gen lanmou pa gen fènwa.

Lanmou atire bonè; li pote tou pre sa ki byen lwen.

Lanmou ak fimen se de bagay ki pa ka kache.

Renmen gen rezon li yo, ki rezon li pa konnen.

Pa jete zen ou kote pa gen pwason.

Abri balèn ou epi li pral ba ou limyè.

Yon fanm ki pèdi rival li pa gen lapenn.

Si ou renmen siwo myèl, pa pè myèl yo.

爱非洲谚语

笑是外在的，但爱在心中。

爱你的人，用你的污垢爱你。

有爱的地方没有黑暗。

爱吸引了快乐; 它带来的是远近的。

爱与烟是两件不可掩盖的事情。

爱有它的原因，这是它不知道的原因。

不要把鱼钩扔到没有鱼的地方。

住你的蜡烛，它会给你光。

失去对手的女人没有悲伤。

如果你爱蜂蜜，不要害怕蜜蜂。

Amo los proverbios africanos

La risa es exterior, pero el amor está en el corazón.

El que te ama, te ama con tu suciedad.

Donde hay amor no hay oscuridad.

El amor atrae la felicidad; acerca lo que está lejos.

El amor y el humo son dos cosas que no se pueden ocultar.

El amor tiene sus razones, que lo desconocen.

No arrojes tu anzuelo donde no haya peces.

Guarda tu vela y te dará luz.

Una mujer que perdió a su rival no tiene pena.

Si amas la miel, no temas a las abejas.

Provérbios africanos do amor

O riso é exterior, mas o amor está no coração.

Aquele que te ama, te ama com sua sujeira.

Onde há amor não há escuridão.

O amor atrai a felicidade; isso aproxima aquilo que está longe.

Amor e fumaça são duas coisas que não podem ser escondidas.

O amor tem suas razões, razões que não conhece.

Não jogue o seu anzol onde não há peixe.

Abrace sua vela e ela lhe dará luz.

Uma mulher que perdeu seu rival não tem tristeza.

Se você ama o mel, não tema as abelhas.

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South African Xhosa tribe traditionally make ingceke sun-cream, a mixture of water and clay to protect themselves from the sun's burning rays, and used as skin ointment to treat rashes and eczema. 

Ingceke is a traditional broad-spectrum sunscreen that provides black Africans skin protection from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Sunscreen for African skin is essential in the unrelenting South African sun. Learn the use of Ingceke sunscreen cream made from the sausage tree.

Ingceke is a traditional broad-spectrum sunscreen.

The special sunscreen lotion for African skin made by the South African Xhosa tribe may look like paint for a traditional dance performance, but it is simply sunscreen. The white creamy sunscreen lotion for black South African skin is called ingceke. It is used as a sunscreen and skin ointment for protection and healing against the harsh South African sun and wind.

In the Eastern Cape Province, conditions inland are usually drier and hotter, with a lower rainfall than at the coast. The South African region has Subtropical weather; during the summer months, temperatures range from 74℉ - 92℉ or 23℃ - 33℃ between September and April. January is usually the hottest month, with hot and humid days, so sunscreen becomes essential.   

The Xhosa traditionally make ingceke sun-cream, a mixture of water and clay, to protect themselves from the sun's burning rays. It is used as skin ointment to treat rashes and eczema.

Fair-skinned people are likely to absorb more solar energy than dark-skinned people under the same conditions. Given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use, Africans use sunscreen with other sun protective measures to make a difference in how well they can protect themselves from sunburn, skin cancer, early skin aging, and other risks of overexposure to the sun.

Sunscreen comes in many forms, such as:
Lotions
Creams
Gels
Oils
Kinds of butter
Pastes
Sprays

The famous ingceke cream is made from the fruit of the exotic sausage tree. The fruits are ground to a pulp, burnt to ash, and pounded with water to make a white paste to apply to the face and body.

Xhosa ingceke cream is not paint but the ash of the fruit of the sausage tree. Sunscreen for dark skin is essential in the unrelenting South African sun. The Xhosa people of southeastern South Africa are the second largest cultural group in South Africa. South African Xhosa tribe traditionally make ingceke sun-cream at home. Ingceke sunscreen cream is made from the sausage tree Kigelia africana.

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Short African Folklore Story

Bird King of Africa African Folklore tells the story of the first and only meeting of African birds to choose their king.

Tink is a tricky bird

The birds of Africa wanted a king. Men have a king, so have animals, and why shouldn't they? All had assembled to choose a bird king to rule all of Africa.

"The Ostrich, because he is the largest bid in Africa," one called out.

They replied "No, he can't fly."

"Eagle, on account of his strength."

They replied "Not he, he cannot sing."

"Vulture, because he can fly the highest."

They replied "No, Vulture is too dirty, his odor is terrible."

"Peacock, he is so beautiful."

They replied "His feet are too ugly, and also his voice."

"Owl, because he can see well."

They replied "Not Owl, he is scared of the light."

And so they got no further. Then one shouted aloud, "He who can fly the highest will be king." "Yes, yes," they all screamed, and at a given signal they all ascended straight up into the sky.

Vulture flew for three whole days without stopping, straight toward the sun. Then he cried aloud, "I am the highest, I am king."

"Ha-Ha-Ha," he heard above him. There the smallest bird in Africa, the penduline-tit whose name was Tink, was flying next to him. Tink had held fast to one of the great wing feathers of Vulture, and had never been felt, he was so light. "Ha-a-ha-ha, I am the highest, I am king," piped Tink.

Vulture flew for another day still ascending. "I am highest, I am king."

"Ha-Ha-Ha, I am the highest, I am king," Tink mocked. There he was again, having crept out from under the wing of Vulture.

Vulture flew on the fifth day straight up in the air. "I am the highest, I am king," he called.

"Ha-Ha-Ha," piped the little fellow above him. "I am the highest, I am king."

Vulture was tired and now flew direct to earth. The other birds were mad and decided Tink must be punished because he had taken advantage of Vulture's feathers and there hidden himself. All the birds flew after Tink and he had to take refuge in a mouse hole. But how were they to get him out? The birds decided someone must stand guard to seize Tink the moment he pokes his head out of the mouse hole.

"Owl must keep guard; he has the largest eyes; he can see well," they exclaimed.

That night owl went and took up his position before the hole but in the morning the sun was warm and soon owl became sleepy and fell fast asleep.

Tink peeped his head out of the hole, saw that Owl was asleep, and zip away up into the trees. Shortly afterward the other birds came to see if Tink was still in the hole.  "Ha-Ha-Ha," they heard in a tree; and there sat the little cheating Tink. Still, to this day Tink’s can be heard singing and laughing at the funny trick he pulled on the other birds.

African Folklore Three Facts

African folktales usually have sly animals and spirits as the main characters.

Anansi is one of the most beloved African folktale characters. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories.

Reading African folktales will help kids make connections to their cultural heritage.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

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Urbanization Is Changing Africa’s Food: How Cities Reshape Farming and Diets

Farming While Happy

In Africa, Small-Scale Farming Still Feeds Millions — But Urbanization Is Changing Diets

Africa is urbanizing faster than any other continent. Rapid urban growth has brought new opportunities but also inequality, poverty, slums, and a shift toward “urbanized food” — highly processed and imported foods that replace traditional staples. This transition deeply affects Africa’s small farmers and ranchers.

Most of the continent still depends on small-scale agriculture for food. Yet poor rural infrastructure — from roads to cold storage — makes it hard for farmers to reach growing city markets. As the demand for food rises and the farming sector shrinks, diets are moving away from indigenous staples like millet, sorghum, teff, and yams toward refined grains and processed foods.

In 1960, only 22% of the world’s people lived in cities; by 2015 that figure had jumped to 49%. Africa’s urban population grew from 470 million in 2015 to a projected 770 million by 2030 — the fastest urbanization rate in the world.

About 60% of Africa’s urban food demand now comes from small cities and towns. Traditional foods — yam, sorghum, millet, teff — have been cultivated for thousands of years with little change to hand tools for threshing and milling. But urban households with higher incomes increasingly choose dairy, fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, and processed foods over local staples.

Family farming still dominates Africa. Rural diets are shaped by subsistence farming tied to geography: rice in some regions, wheat with fruits and vegetables in others. But as people leave farming and seek non-farm jobs — often migrating to cities — the local food supply weakens. Meeting urban demand for fresh produce, dairy, and meat requires roads, cold storage, and reliable transport that many rural areas lack.

Without better infrastructure, urban areas will continue to rely heavily on imported foods and processed products. This contributes to both malnutrition and obesity: inexpensive, calorie-dense foods fill stomachs but lack essential nutrients.

Africa’s potential is enormous. Agriculture employs 65% of the labor force and contributes 32% of GDP. With the right investments — better roads, storage, and fair markets — small farmers could feed booming cities and reduce hunger.

Hunger and Food Insecurity

Hunger is the physical discomfort caused by not eating enough calories regularly. Over 821 million people worldwide experience hunger, and in Africa, conflict, economic slowdown, and climate change (droughts, floods, unpredictable rain) drive food crises.

Food insecurity means lacking reliable access to safe, nutritious food for a healthy life. Severe food insecurity means going a day or more without eating; moderate food insecurity means sacrificing other needs to afford food or relying on cheap, nutrient-poor options.

Living with food insecurity can cause long-term health problems. Stress and poor diet contribute to both undernutrition and rising obesity rates. Children who grow up hungry are more likely to face chronic disease later in life.

The Pressure on Small Farmers

Policies that reshape land use and farming systems directly affect Africa’s food supply. Smallholders are being asked to feed cities, maintain their own households, and produce cash crops for export — often without more land, labor, or technology. These pressures risk deepening food insecurity if not paired with support for rural development.

Did You Know?

Urbanization Is Reshaping Africa’s Diets

Africa’s cities are growing faster than anywhere else in the world. As rural residents move to towns and cities, diets shift from traditional staples like millet, sorghum, yams, and teff toward refined grains, processed foods, and imported products.

This shift isn’t just about taste — it’s driven by income growth, lack of rural infrastructure for fresh foods, and the aggressive expansion of global food companies into African markets.

Without investment in local storage, cold transport, and fair markets, Africa’s small farmers risk being left behind while urban households depend more on imported, processed food.

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the world and in Africa, it is big business.

 

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in Africa. Weed or Cannabis is also known as Dagga in Afrikaans, Umya in Xhosa, and Nsangu in Zulu.

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the world and in Africa, it is big business however, current legislation in 2018 still prohibits the cultivation, possession and sell cannabis in South Africa. The 2017 ruling that a person can grow and use medical cannabis in their own home has not yet come into effect, and therefore cannabis is still illegal in South Africa.

However, not all African countries are following South Africa’s criminalization of weed. Zimbabwe in May 2018 legalized growing marijuana for medicinal and research purposes and is the second African country to do so, Lesotho became the African continent's first country to offer legal licenses to grow marijuana. Ghanaians are heavy consumers of marijuana, which is prohibited but widely tolerated.

The highest levels of weed or cannabis production in the world take place on the African continent. Approximately, 25 percent of the global growing and manufacturing of cannabis takes place in Africa, North America and South America are close seconds.

More than 11,000 metric tons of cannabis is produced on the continent each year, according to a UN survey, which advocates believe could be worth billions of dollars in a rapidly expanding global market for legal weed.

The Dagga Party in South Africa won a landmark ruling in 2017 to permit smoking in the home on privacy grounds, without changing the legal status of cannabis, which means although there is a ruling weed is still illegal. However, like Lesotho, the South African government published guidelines for medical marijuana, paving the way for legal licenses.

The world’s largest cannabis resin, hash or hashish producer is Africa's Morocco. Hashish is much more potent than herbal cannabis. The highest rates within Africa of cannabis herb users are found in West and Central Africa and in Southern Africa while cannabis resin users are concentrated in Northern Africa.

Two main cannabis products are herbal cannabis denoting the leaves and flowering tops of the plant and cannabis resin referring to the pressed secretions of the plant. 

Growing weed is big business throughout Africa. Seventy percent of the cannabis herb entering South Africa is grown in Lesotho, where it is estimated to be the third largest source of income.

Did you know?

Weed or Cannabis is also known as:

Marijuana in English

Dagga in Afrikaans

Umya in Xhosa

Mbanje in Shona

Matekwane and Patse in Northern Sotho

Nsangu in Zulu

Nelson Mandela African Wise Proverbs and Motivating Quotes

Quotes by Nelson Mandela South Africa most famous anti-apartheid figure, political figure, husband and father. Nelson Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Global icon Nelson Mandela was born July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa died December 5, 2013, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Inspiring Nelson-Mandela-Quotes

Nelson Mandela brief biography of standing up to social injustice

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela father was Hendry Mphakanyiswa of the Tembu Tribe his mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni. Mandela was educated at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand where he studied law. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961.

After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labor.

In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland.

During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.

Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. After his release, he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organization’s National Chairperson.

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Homemade Sudanese African Food Cooking.

Three rules for making Sudanese fermented Kisra bread, practice, patience, and preparation. 

Kisra is a common fermented bread that look similar to crepes or flat bread. Kisra is a staple food made throughout Sudan and South Sudan. Slow-fermented Kisra bread has more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than regular bread because of the process of fermentation process easier to digest.

Keep learning about African food culture:

• Pan-African cooking traditions
• African bread heritage
• African history and cultural context
• Proverbs about food and wisdom

Start cooking African food by making delicious homemade African food Sudanese Kisra fermented bread.

 

Serving eight, homemade African food Sudanese Kisra fermented bread recipe is easy to make.

 

Ingredients

1-cup wheat flour

2-3 cups water

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Sesame oil for greasing the crepe pan

 

Directions

Mix flour with 2-3 cups water into a thin consistency, similar to pancake mixture but slightly thinner.

Add yogurt and mix well. Leave covered for 3 days to ferment in the fridge.

Heat the pan and grease lightly with oil. Pour ¼ cup of the dough mixture onto the crepe pan and spread evenly using a crepe maker utensil into a thin sheet. Allow 1-2 minutes to cook one side then flip and cook another 1 minute.

Eat Sudanese Kirsa bread with your favorite soups and stews; make into a decadent dessert or as a wrap for your lunch sandwich.

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History of Ebola Virus Outbreaks in Africa

Africa is bracing for another outbreak of the deadly Ebola-virus. The Ebola-vaccine developed in record time has proved highly effective against the deadly virus in a large trial in Guinea where 12k died.

On May 8, 2018, the Ministry of Health of The Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola-virus in Bikoro Health Zone, Equateur Province. This is the ninth outbreak of Ebola-virus over the last four decades in the country. As of May 16, 2017, 45 Ebola cases were reported including 25 deaths, a fatality rate of 56 percent.  

The Ebola outbreaks in Nigeria and Senegal were declared officially over in October 2014. Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola on November 7, 2015, Guinea followed in December 2015. Liberia has been the worst hit, with more than 4,800 dead and 10,672 Ebola-infected.  

During the peak of Ebola-transmission during August and September 2014, Liberia was reporting between 300 and 400 new Ebola-cases every week. The Ebola-epidemic seemed to subside so the outbreak in Liberia was declared over on May 9, 2015, only to resurface seven weeks later when a 17-year-old died from the Ebola-disease. There needs to be 42 days without any new cases for a country to be declared Ebola-free.

The Ebola-vaccine developed in record time has proved highly effective against the deadly virus in a large trial in Guinea where more than 11,500 people died from Ebola since the epidemic began in December 2013. The first person to receive the trial vaccine in Guinea was Mohamed Soumah, 27.  

He tells The World Health Organization "It wasn't easy. People in the village said that the injection was to kill me. I was afraid. I was the first one to be injected, the very first, here in my village on March 23, 2015. I've been monitored for 3 months and I've had no problems. The last follow-up, 84 days after the vaccination, was all clear."

As of May 2018, there are currently 4,300 doses of Merck’s V920 vaccine in Geneva, held by the WHO, the company told STAT in an email. Merck has given its permission for that stock to be used in DRC. “Merck also is collaborating with the World Health Organization to provide additional doses beyond those needed to support the current response,” Merck stated.  Merck has a stockpile of more than 300,000 additional doses in the United States. 

Using the Ebola-vaccine where it is needed will take precise planning because the vaccine must be kept at sub-zero temperatures from minus 76 to minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit in a rural remote tropical African region where electricity is virtually nonexistent.

Past and present Ebola-epidemics African Countries 

Democratic Republic of Congo

Liberia

Sierra Leone

Guinea

Nigeria

Senegal

Côte d'Ivoire

Gabon

Republic of Congo

South Africa

Mali

Uganda

Ebola-Facts

Ebola got its name from the Ebola River in then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Ebola River is a branch of the Congo River that is the world’s deepest river.

Ebola first appeared in June and July in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, South Sudan, and Yambuku, the Democratic Republic of the Congo located in Central Africa

Fruit bats aka Flying Foxes are considered the original host of the Ebola virus

The time from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days.

Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons and with surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing contaminated with these fluids.

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Honey production in East Africa is dependent on small family beekeeping businesses using traditional beehives to make honey from African honeybees.

Top five largest producer of honey in Africa.

Ethiopia

Tanzania

Kenya

Uganda

Rwanda

Beekeeping in Africa
Beekeeping is an ancient tradition in Ethiopia, stretching back into the country’s early history between 3500 and 3000 B.C., according to some history books. Collecting and selling honey and other bee products produced in homes and home gardens are common throughout the country.

Hearty main course South African soup made of smoked fish, plantains, chayotes, yams, hot peppers and spring onions serves eight.

 

South African smoked fish soup is quick, spicy, and easy to make with the full of flavor of fresh vegetables.

South African Smoke Fish Soup

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons South African smoke seasoning blend

2 lemons, juice only

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large carrot, sliced into medium rounds

2 green bananas or plantains, peeled, sliced to 2cm/1in rounds

2 chayote, peeled, sliced into medium chunks

1 yam, peeled, sliced into medium chunks

1 hot pepper

6 spring onions, chopped

Directions

In a large bowl, mix seasonings with the lemon juice until dissolved. Bring 3 cups of water to the boil in a large saucepan and lemon juice marinade, garlic, carrot, green bananas, chayote, hot pepper and yam and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add fish fillets continue to simmer 5 minutes. Add the spring onions and serve.

A fully ripe African Horned-Melon has an orange rind with prominent spikes, is bitter tasting and native to Africa.

The Fruit of African Horned-Melon Explained

African horned melon grows in semiarid regions of southern and central Africa of the Kalahari Desert mostly in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Nigeria. It was introduced to Australia 70 years ago and became a weed there.

Native to Africa, the African horned cucumber also known as the African horned melon fruit appearances when ripe with various shades of yellow and Princeton orange on the outside and electric lime green with a jelly like flesh and a bitter taste. 

The skin also sports porcupine like spikes over its surface making the fruit look like a prop on the set of a sci-fi movie. The ellipsoid fruit is bright yellow-reddish orange in color when mature and shaped like a short stout cucumber with many blunt thorns on its surface. These seeds are embedded in the middle layer, which is emerald green and consists of juicy, bland-tasting tissue.

African horned-melon is a specialty fruit for export to the European and US market. African horned melon fruit is a bit pricey in some areas of the world. The fruit's taste has been compared to a combination of cucumber and zucchini and is well worth the price. The fruits have a very long shelf life and may keep for several months.

Wild African horned melons have an overabundance of steroids making it extremely bitter. These steroid compounds are very toxic to mammals; however, as they are the bitterest substances known they are also feeding deterrents and very rarely eaten by mammals. The non-bitter commercial fruits do not contain steroid compounds and are not toxic.

Common Names for African Horned-Melons

Kiwano, Melano, African Horned Cucumber, Jelly Melon, Hedged Gourd, Horned Melon, English Tomato and Metulon.

African fabrics Kente cloth, Mud cloth, and Ndebele cloth pattern history and facts

Deep information about Kente, Mud-cloth, Ndebele cloth patterns.

Discover more textile symbolism and quilt traditions in the African Quilting & Textile Crafts Hub .

Three of the most famous African-cloth designs are Kente-cloth, Mud-cloth, and Ndebele cloth pattern.

African culture, particularly in the areas of dance, music and the fine arts has influenced cultures around the world for two millennia. African people are creative having a long history of unique cultural elegance valued around the world over.  The making and trading of African cloth have been vital elements in African culture.

Through African cloth, we can understand not only African history but also its engagement with other parts of the world. African cloth can be used to address global issues and to express individual traditions of Africa.

African cloth is unspoken language often providing a way of suggesting thoughts and feelings which may not or cannot be expressed in other ways.  These African cloths regularly move as symbols between the kingdoms of the earthly and the dead.

History behind three beautiful African cloth fabrics

Kente Cloth

Kente cloth pronounced Ken-Tay is one of the most famous African textile designs. Kente is a colorful traditional cloth that is worn mostly on important occasions and celebrations.

The Ashanti people of Ghana and the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo make the African cloth, kente. Kente cloth is the most recognizable of all African textiles. Kente cloth originated with the Ashanti people of Ghana dating back 375 years in the village of Bonwire.

Bonwire is a kente clothing weaving village in Ejisu-Juaben Municipal district, a district of Ashanti. To this day, Bonwire is still the most famous center for kente cloth weaving.

Traditional Kente Cloth was black and white however the colors of black, red, yellow and green symbolize black represents Africa, red represents the blood of ancestors and yellow represents a wealth of gold.

Mud-Cloth

The African country of Mali is famous for Mud cloth or bogolanfini. Mud cloth is a distinctive fabric made by the Bamana peoples of Mali, West Africa.

The geometric designs that are created are often stylized forms of animals or other objects from the natural world.

The zigzag motif on this cloth is known as 'the legs of a cricket'.

Ndebele Cloth Pattern

Ndebele pattern has a strong symbolic value and is closely linked to the home and to the relationship of the person.

This art form has developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, using bright of the brightest colors.

Earth tones were used in the past. The South African Ndebele origins are unknown, however; their history can be traced back to chief Mafana in the 1600s.

The Ndebele first officially recorded chief, chief Mafana was succeeded by chief Mhlanga.

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