Lobolo

Lobolo or Lobola in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele (Mahadi in Sesotho, Roora in Shona, and Magadi in Northern Sotho), sometimes translated as bride price, is a traditional Southern African custom whereby the man pays the family of his fiancée for her hand in marriage. (Compare with the European dowry custom where the woman brings assets.) The custom is aimed at bringing the two families together, fostering mutual respect, and indicating that the man is capable of supporting his wife financially.