Cluster of Bantu-speaking peoples (numbering 10 million) occupying the high grasslands of southern Africa, mainly parts of South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho.
They are culturally and historically distinct from the Nguni peoples. The main Sotho groups are the Pedi and Lovedu in the north, the Tswana in the west, and the Basuto of Lesotho. Most farm and raise livestock, though Christian missionary activity and urbanization have resulted in a breakdown of traditional culture patterns.