Comprehensive classification of Ngoni / Nguni groups.

List of Ngoni / Nguni nations:

• Bhaca
• Hlubi
• Mpondo
• Ndebele (northern Ndebele in Mthwakazi & southern Ndebele in Gauteng, South Africa)
• Ngoni / Jere / Jele (mainly in Malawi, northern Mozambique, southern Tanzania, Zambia)
• Nhlangwini  

• Shangaan 
• Swazi 
• Tembu
• Xhosa
• Zizi
• Zulu

Altogether, twelve (12) "Nguni" groups are known to exist. From my knowledge in any case. 

Bhaca, Hlubi, Nhlangwini, Swazi & Zizi are the Mbo Entity. The Mbo Entity often declassifies itself from the Nguni group. Nhlangwini & Swazi are under a Dlamini dynasty while the Hlubi & Zizi are also Dlamini tribes. Ngoni & Shangaan are of Ndwandwe origin (a tribe assimilated by the Zulu Empire). Bhaca, Hlubi, Ndebele, Nhlangwini, Shangaan, Zizi & some Mpondo are often classified as Zulu. While it's unknown whether Mpondo & Xhosa qualify as Nguni, they are often grouped as Nguni.


Using family groups to classify: 
• Mbo
• Mpondo
• Nguni*** (Ndebele, Ngoni, Shangaan, Thonga**, Zulu*)
• Xhosa (incl. Tembu)

Four (4) main family groups which are classified as "Nguni".

* Zulu kingdom also has Sotho tribes who were kidnapped & brought into Zulu territory. These Sotho tribes paid tribute to the Zulu kings. These tribes were given land & cattle within the Zulu kingdom. 

** Thonga / Tsonga within Zulu territory paid tribute to the Zulu kingdom excepting for Shangaan who formed their own kingdom in the Gaza province of Mozambique. 

*** This Nguni group can further be divided into the Ngwane group (Ndebele, Ngoni, Shangaan & Zulu) & the Thonga-Swazi group which also has Ngwane remnants.


A list of all the known Zizi clans / surnames: 
• Bhane 

• Dweba 
• Hloko 
• Jama 
• Jivane 

• Lumba
• Miya  

• Mntambo 

• Mpofana 

• Mtolo (Mzolo)
• Mzizi
• Njili
• Nkabinde
• Nkomo 

• Nkumane 
• Nsipho
• Ntozakhe
• Nyawo
• Thukela 

AmaZizi are said to be one of the first Bantu language-speaking group to arrive in South Africa in what is carbon-dated to be around 200 AD. 


Kings: 
• Bhaca are ruled by royal Madzikane/Zulu family.
• Hlubi are ruled by the Radebe royal family.
• Mpondo are ruled by Sigcau royal family.
• Ndebele are ruled by Khumalo royal family in Mthwakazi & Mahlangu / Mabhena royal family in Gauteng & Northwest province, respectively.
• Ngoni are ruled by King Mpenzeni IV in Zambia.
• Nhlangwini are ruled by King Ngqalabutho Dlamini.
• Swazi are ruled by King Mswati III.
• Shangaan are ruled by Nxumalo royal family.
• Tembu are ruled by King Dalindyebo in Eastern Cape & Thembu are ruled by King Sphamandla in Uthukela District.
• Xhosa are ruled by King Ahlangene Sigcawu.
• Zizi are ruled by King Mthetho Miya.
• Zulu are ruled by King Mis'uZulu kaZwelithini Zulu. 

Postscript: The Phuthi & Lala are more large clans than nations. If classified, the Phuthi may fall under the Mbo grouping & Lala would fall under the Nguni grouping. 

The Nguni grouping descends from the Ngwane & Mhlungu clans in further antiquity. This group descended from Kongo in much further antiquity while the Mbo group comes from all over Africa but of direct Cameroonian (Adamawa) descent several millenia ago. 

The Twa people. 

The Thwa or AbaThwa in Zulu are a short, forest-dwelling people of central Africa, they're also called by the derogatory word "pygmies" in English. Some Zulu theorists claim the Khoi (sometimes Khoe) & San originate from the Twa, there's valid reason they would believe so due to stature of the San & Twa as well as both groups having a hunter-gatherer way of life. Many could also claim the San & Hadza tribes have the same origin but no evidence has proven conclusive of that claim, with anthropologists classifying Hadza as a language isolate. The Hadza & San are both hunter-gatherer groups who use click sounds in their language. 

Early Nguni tribes who arrived in the borders of present-day South Africa between 75 000 years ago to circa 200 A. D. & later arriving Sotho-Tswana tribes who arrived in South Africa in what is said to be circa 800 A. D. are said to have intermarried with the San. The San could've intermarried with the western & far south Khoi tribes also for the more commonly known KhoiSan group to be formed. The Sotho, Xhosa & Tswana could've also possibly intermarried with the Khoi due to proximity to precolonial Khoi lands. Judging by the folklore surrounding the Thwa in Nguni culture, we could judge that they are, at least, part of the distant history of the Nguni world. 

Sources: 

• The History of Traditional Leadership in KwaZulu-Natal on academia.edu

• Swazi oral history. 

• Zulu oral history.

• Wikipedia. 

• The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom by Cambridge University Press. 

THE MODERN ZULU LANGUAGE.