Zwangendaba led the Ngoni people through Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania & Mala

King Zwangendaba, the son of Hlatshwayo kaMagangatha, fled Shaka Zulu during the destructive Mfecane wars and led the Ngoni people through Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania & Malawi. Zwangendaba and his followers embarked on an arduous journey that spanned thousands of kilometers and several decades.

Their influence left an indelible mark on the histories and societies of present-day Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and other neighboring areas:

- Some are known as Watuwa, and some, in Kenya, are called Abaluya.
- Others spread into the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, and bear surnames like Shonga and Chere (for Jele).
- Others are in Zambia under King Mpezeni.
- Others who were under Mbelwa's Jere (for Jele) are in the Mzimba district of Malawi.
- The group under Zulu Gama, journeyed on from Mzimba to the Ruvuma Region of Tanzania and has its headquarters at Songea.