Lobola
Gifts, traditionally cattle, passed from the groom's family to the bride's family in Southern Africa.
Also: lobolo, lobolo, roora
Lobola is the bridewealth of Southern Africa, found among Sotho, Tswana, Shona (as roora), Ndebele and many other peoples, and traditionally paid in cattle, now often in money. The two families negotiate through chosen representatives over one or more formal meetings, and the talks are meant to be respectful, with humour and ceremony. Those who keep it describe it as thanks to the bride's parents and the joining of two families, not a purchase. It is also debated, because high sums can delay weddings, and spellings include lobolo and roora.
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa