5 African Traditional Games That Showcase The Beauty of African Culture

Growing up, playing in community squares, the street or even large compounds was the norm. It’s either you played games native to your locale or imported sports like soccer, basketball, or whatever hybrid versions existed, amongst others.

We know that these indigenous sports created lasting memories and are vital parts of our history and identity as a continent. So, let’s take a quick trans-continental trip to see some games enjoyed across Africa:

Dambe Boxing – Nigeria

This is an ancient form of boxing that originates from the Hausa tribe in the Northern part of Nigeria. Enjoyed by both elites & commoners, the game has participants that travel to different villages at harvest time and challenge those of the butcher class to duel as festival entertainment. The dominant arm of both fighters are tied together with rope to provide punch power, and they try to strike themselves with punches and kicks until one person drops to the floor. This is known as “killing”. Music is often used to call the boxers into the ring, boost morale, and cheer the audience.

Ta Kurt Om El Mahan – Libya

Translated as “the ball of the pilgrim’s mother”, this game has roots in 1930s Libya. It bears some similarities to baseball and has been played mainly by the Berber people of the Libyan Desert. It is played by two teams of nine who take turns playing defence and offence. There is a belief that the sport was exported by Europeans and renamed baseball well after the stone age. Furthermore, many believe it will be a suitable replacement for baseball which was been taken out of the Olympics.

Here’s how the rest of it goes, each team has a captain (or a Sciek) who gets assigned teammates by chance. The batting team (A) strikes the ball in a batting order with a bat, sending it as far off as possible so that the other team members may have time to run from home to the mahag and, if possible, back again.

The fielding team (B) then try to stop their opponents by catching the ball as it flies or by picking it up from the ground and throwing it to hit a member of the batting team as he runs from the gate to the mahag or back. When a team bats, it goes by “marksmen” (darraba), and when it fields, it goes by “hunters.”

Nguni (Stick Fighting) – South Africa

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Popular among the Nguni herders (a Bantu tribe in South Africa), this game is known as “dlala nduku” and has strong roots in their culture and history. Essentially, a stick can serve dual purposes as it can form a shield or attack an opponent. The sticks are called isiquili/induku and uboko (the attacking and defending sticks). This game can last up to five hours where opponents take turns at playing offence and defence, scoring points based on which part of the body is struck.

Here’s the twist though, it is a bloody sport, and sometimes opponents can die. Inevitably, this has led to criticism. The game’s enthusiasts don’t mind because they say it encourages cultural expression and requires skills, discipline and firm physiques. It’s been banned in some areas of South Africa but remains a big deal in some other communities.

You can say this game is like an initiation rite because when young Zulu boys come of fighting age at 16, they have to go to the forests with their fathers, and over the years, he would likely have several fighting sticks.

Laamb – Senegal

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Popularly known as “Lamb” in Senegal, this game is believed to have been around for over 100 years. It started as a form of recreation for farmers and fishers. In recent times, big fighters who have made name can win up to $100,000 per match and are a giant soccer rival in Senegal. To Senegalese, Lamb represents an opportunity to be plucked from obscurity and put on a platform that makes them a nationally-known name. One aspect of the youth’s popularity is that lamb represents an opportunity to make thousands when job opportunities are slim.

The rules of laamb are pretty straightforward. The first person who can flip their opponent on their back wins the fight. There are two versions of lamb. In one version, wrestlers must refrain from using their hands; this version is often used in local village fights. The matches in large stadiums are usually the second version, in which wrestlers are allowed to throw jabs and punches.

What makes laamb stand out is the spirituality behind it. Although wrestlers take part in rigorous physical training in anticipation of the match, the real fight is believed to occur in the spiritual realm. This is where we will talk about Marabouts. The marabouts provide spiritual protection for the wrestlers; they are widespread in the Muslim community. The marabouts provide liquids that they have made and are blessed to protect them from enemies’ spirits in the crowd. They also offer ‘Gris Gris‘ for the wrestlers; these are amulets that are often in the form of small cloth bags, which are inscribed with verses from the Qur’an and contain ritual objects.

Wrestlers wear amulets on their arms for protection. The wrestlers would often walk around while there was a procession of beating drums and dances, and the wrestlers or griots would perform ‘bakks‘, an oral art performance that is supposed to boast about the wrestler and instill a sense of fear in the opponent. The winner of this game is made who reach the level of status of Micheal Jordan in Senegal, with endorsements and high payouts.

Donkey Racing – Kenya

This sport is trendy on Kenya’s Island called Lamu. It is an annual race that thousands gather to watch. In this sport, well-trained donkeys without saddles are ridden by jockeys. This game requires insane concentration, skill and strength. Ironically, donkeys that are perceived as languid creatures will be used for such a game. However, the people in this part of Kenya do not care. A lot of tourists troop in each year to watch this race and the winner is rewarded handsomely. The sport usually takes place in November, and there is no age restriction as kids are also allowed to race adults. In 2016, a fourteen years old boy, Omar Kombon, won the race with his donkey, Kagawa. He won a two-day vacation in Nairobi alongside a hefty sum of money. There are rules to the game. The donkeys’ race around the town with their riders, trying to navigate the different terrains. Most riders ride their donkeys bareback, while some use padding to control the shocks during the race. To control the donkeys, the riders make use of sticks and reigns.