Izithakazelo zakwa Siya Kolisi Clan Name History and Origin
Siya Kolisi was born in 1991 in Zwide Township near Port Elizabeth in South Africa – still recovering from apartheid – where his grandmother raised him despite living in poverty.
Siya has established himself as a strong leader both on and off the rugby pitch. Together with Rachel, he runs The Kolisi Foundation to assist under-resourced communities.
Siya Kolisi Clan Name
- Khuluma
- Hebe
- Ntuli
Xhosa
Xhosa clan systems are at the core of family life and an individual’s isiduko (clan name) is of primary significance in terms of greeting people when meeting for the first time.
Clan names are passed from generation to generation through oral tradition, so when meeting someone for the first time it is customary to inquire what their isiduko is before introducing oneself. Couples sharing identical isiduko may not marry.
Clan names are associated with specific animals or objects that represent them as totems, signifying which group they belong to. This longstanding tradition shows one’s sense of belonging within their community rooted deep within Xhosa culture.
Culture that has been threatened by Westernisation. Yet Xhosa people remain true to their values and way of life despite seemingly overwhelming odds, upholding them despite hardship throughout history and into today.
Their strength and determination drive them forward into the future with pride; their unbreakable spirit drives their strength forward while their belief in themselves remains unshaken.
They celebrate pridefully their own unique heritage that makes them special people worth celebrating! They will fight hard for their rights and freedoms and refuse to be overcome!
Zulu
The Zulu clan name system remains an integral component of Zulu culture, providing a sense of identity, kinship, and belonging. Not limited solely to Zulus; other ethnic groups in South Africa such as Xhosas and Swazis also employ clan names for identification.
Clans were an essential element of Zulu society and consisted of extended families that shared social obligations such as raising livestock and planting crops.
Men were responsible for defending the homestead, building dwellings and making weapons and farming implements while women tended to domestic duties such as child rearing – polygyny was common and spouses were ranked according to strict seniority rankings.
Boys were initiated at an early age into age sets known as “impi” that served as regiments in the Zulu army. Each age set was comprised of several clans that reported directly to King Zwelithini; any marriage requests from boys had to be approved by their entire age set as a whole before proceeding with any.
Kolisi comes from a family with four daughters and one son. His mother, aunts, and grandparents had all married into the Zulu clan; hence why his father gave him that name as well. Unfortunately, such selective displays of family history only serve to reinforce stereotypes about poor black people having multiple offspring.
Setswana
Setswana clan names differ greatly from Western culture in that they reflect cultural dynamics at both an individual and community level.
Setswana names serve as repositories of their dynamic culture which encompasses political and tribal disputes, socio-economic struggles, beliefs, rituals and fears as well as climate conditions, topographies such as rivers gorges and hills as well as political ideals that shape political power relations amongst others.
Siya Kolisi was raised in Zwide, a small township on the outskirts of Gqeberha in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. His mother Phakama gave birth to him and two of his half-siblings when she was only a teenager; upon her passing at 15 she left him to be raised by his grandmother.
Kolisi grew up poor, his family struggling to put food on the table. Not only was this hardship debilitating for Kolisi but so were Western media tropes depicting poor black families as incapable of caring for their offspring.
Botswana society revolves around kgotlas, and these play a central role in everything from village affairs and tribal relations, right down to marriage decisions and inheritance distribution.
Additionally, rank and seniority determine who goes through initiation processes or inheritance distribution; who marries whom, and even his choice of clan name.
English
Kolisi became the inaugural black South African to captain the Springboks four years ago and since then has established an outstanding international career, inspiring many millions around the globe with his leadership of men on and off the pitch.
Kolisi was raised by his paternal grandmother after his mother unexpectedly passed away when he was only 10.
He credits rugby with helping him avoid falling into poverty’s usual traps – dropping out of school and becoming an outcast on the streets before finding shelter at African Bombers club under coach Eric Songwiqi’s guidance and ultimately receiving a scholarship at Grey Junior School.
After graduating from high school and attending university studies successfully, Siyamthanda “Siya” Kolisi joined both the Stormers (South African Provincial Rugby Team) and Springboks national teams – becoming captain in 2018 as the first black player ever.
Siya is a married man devoted to his family. Together with Rachel, he often posts family pictures to Instagram for their wide following.
Siya and Rachel also actively support charity efforts and community projects as philanthropists through their foundation, which works toward making change possible in South African lives of vulnerable individuals.
