The Pedi are a southern African people often called the Northern Sotho because they are a branch of the large Sotho people. However, the Pedi have established their own identity throughout their history. They developed as a separate group in the 16th and 17th centuries through a series of wars and political arrangements. Like so many larger groups in Africa, the Pedi combined with smaller kingdoms to create a larger confederation for defensive and social reasons. The fact that they shared the same language and customs made it easy for them to have a confederation.

When the Pedi were defeated by the armies of the Ndebele king Mzilikazi on his way north, they were scattered until a great king, Sekwati, restored their unity and revived the ...