Enyokeni Reed Dance Ceremony, Maidens Human Rights and Safety Training Sessions: 40,000 Maidens.

Sept 12th – 16th 2018;

    Sept 5th to 12th 2019    

In collaboration with the Zulu King Zwelithini, Department of Arts & Culture and serviced by WIIN Women Integral Impact Network in terms of training and information.

What is the Reed Dance?

The Reed Dance is a Zulu traditional dance and ritual ceremony that is held once a year in early September. Up to 40 000 maidens from across various African communities in Kwa-Zulu Natal participate in the annual event which is held at Zulu nation’s royal residence at KwaNyokeni Palace.

The maidens dress up in brightly coloured attire and sing and dance together as they deliver the reed or umlanga to the Zulu King at the Royal Residence. They wear traditional attire, including beadwork, anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and colourful sashes representing their community. The maidens dance bare-breasted for their King carrying long reeds which tower high above their heads in a slow procession up to the Palace. The procession is led by the Chief Zulu Princess. Should the reed break before the maiden reaches that the Palace, it is considered a sign that the maiden has already been sexually active.

The ceremony was reintroduced by King Goodwill Zwelethini in 1991, to encourage young Zulu girls to delay sexual activity until marriage.

It is a great honour for the young maidens, their families and communities, to be invited to participate in the annual Reed Dance Ceremony

The Reed Dance is also a celebration of the Zulu nation and performs the essential role of unifying the nation and the king, who presides over the ceremony.

WIIN’s involvement with the Reed Dance:

Education and Empowerment: Personal Wellness & Safety, Hospitality Tourism, Organic Agro, Biopharma, Arts & Crafts, Makers Village, Housing Village, SMME development

WIIN formed a collaboration agreement with community leaders, Princes Thulani, Buza and King Zwelithini.

WIIN has created relations with KZN DPW and KZN DAC

WIIN Provincial WIIN HQ initiated by the Mayor of Nongoma. Ann Xulu is Head of District of Zululand and will progress to replace Bucie Sithole to Head of Province, as Bucie has be deployed to GP by Treasury. It was launched along with the Nongoma Chamber of Commerce, October 2019

International Sol Sebastian, Dr Saida Desilet and Sophia Olivas are joining the WIIN Team in the experience of training during the Reed Dance Training Event, 2020.

Annually, the very traditional Zulu Reed Dance Ceremony is undertaken at Enyokeni, by Some 20,000 Zulu maidens.

The annual Reed Dance takes place at the Enyokeni Palace, in the Osuthu area. Both King Zwelithini’s palace, and that of his mother’s, Osuthu and Enyokeni respectively, are situated here.