The Ndebele people are well known for their artistic talent - especially with regard to their painted houses and colorful beadwork .For over a hundred years, the Ndebele have decorated the outside of their homes with designs. Ndebele woamen outside painted houdeMulti color wall paintings are painted by using their fingers, the most frequent theme, as in wall painting, is the house. Gables, gateways, steps, roofline's and light fixtures may all be recognized on women's aprons and on walls. These reflect the domestic interests of women, and may point to aspirations of idealized homes. The dresses and beautiful decorated homes of the Ndebele people in South Africa are unique in Africa. Many a fashion model would envy the elegance, color and presentation of well-dressed Ndebele women.Ndebele man One form of early design was made with earth pigments, ranging from bright yellow to brown. The pigments were ground up and mixed with liquid to form a "paint" that was used to decorate door and window frames, bordered with charcoal. The earlier patterns are believed, unlike the more recent painted patterns, to have sacred powers and to have been made in response to demands by the ancestors
Exclusively the Ndebele women, who are renowned for their artistic skills, have always done beadwork. Their beadwork and bead pattern-inspired mural paintings in particular have become an integral part of Ndebele culture. The motifs used in beadwork and in wall painting show great vitality and dynamic response to the changing world around the artists. Stylized plant forms may express a hope for good harvests in a dry region.
Colorful dresses, metal rings and beaded hoops are used. The beadwork is sometimes so elaborate that garments and trinkets can only be removed by destroying it. The rings around the ankles as well as necklaces remain there for most of the wearer's life.