AmaMpondomise

The Mpondomise people, also called Ama-Mpondomise, are a Xhosa-speaking people. Their traditional homeland has been in the contemporary era Eastern Cape province of South Africa, during apartheid they were located both in the Ciskei and Transkei region. Like other separate Xhosa-speaking kingdoms such as Aba-Thembu and Ama-Mpondo, they speak Xhosa and are at times considered as part of the Xhosa people.

The Ama-Mpondomise form part of the AbaMbo ethnic group of South Africa one of few indigenous groups of Southern Africa along side the San and Khoekhoe. The formal establishment of the ethnic groups as a separate nation from the other local AbaMbo. They are not Nguni but some people turn to confuse them with Nguni people due to the intermarriage. Their Kingdom was established 1000s of years before the European and other native tribes arrived. One of their notable kings is estimated around 13th century. The San and AmaMpondomise are the earliest residence of what was later to be renamed East Griqualand by the colonialist goverment of Hamilton Hope chief Magistrate. The area of Maclear did not have Griquas or Khoe discendants up until Adam Kok arrived later in the 1800s and found both the San and AmaMpondomise residing and intermarrying, in fact one of the most notable royal clans of AmaMpondomise the Jola/Majola clan are descendants of the intermarriage between AmaMpondomise and the San . The Mpondomise encountered colonists migrating further inland and eastwards from the Cape of Good Hope.

As a result of colonial conquest, a majority of ama-Mpondomise speak Xhosa, with a minority who are bilingual speaking Mpondomise as their home language and Xhosa as a second language. Some people view Mpondomise as a dialect of Xhosa. However, the language is dying out.