Lebowa was one of 10 homelands set up by the South African government under the former policy of enforced racial segregation known as apartheid. Lebowa, like the other homelands, was reserved for Black Africans. It was self-governing in name but had no real power. It was home to about 2.6 million Pedi people, who speak Sepedi as their first language.
People with a culture like that of the Pedi have lived in what is now northeastern South Africa since the A.D. 200’s. In 1994, most of Lebowa became part of the province of Northern Transvaal (now called Limpopo), and a small portion became part of the province of Eastern Transvaal (now called Mpumalanga).
