The maidens in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa play a significant cultural role in the Zulu community. They are known as the “maidens” or “izintombi” in Zulu. These young women are celebrated for their purity, beauty, and commitment to upholding the traditional values of the Zulu people.

Weeks ago, pictures of these maidens well adorned in their colorfully-beaded and traditional attires yet partially exposed were all over the media landscapes. The beautiful ladies gleamingly revealed their seemingly fresh breasts; and this caught the attention of netizens. I must say that my curiosity made me decide to conduct some research of the pictures and this piece gives the account of my findings. As such, after I read about the pictures, I consulted an isiZulu Fulbright Scholar (2023/24) at the University of Georgia, Athens, in the United States of America for a more accurate understanding; she validated my findings and gave more resources, one of which is the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6L0f69lpDk

To begin with, the decision of the maidens to dress in a partially exposed manner is for certain cultural ceremonies, such as the Reed Dance in KwaZulu-Natal. Importantly, this choice is voluntary as the exposed areas are often associated with youth and innocence.

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