The Ikoma of Tanzania

The Ikoma of Tanzania, numbering approximately 65,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu people of Tanzania's western Serengeti in Mara Region, living between Lake Victoria and Serengeti National Park and closely associated with neighboring Nata, Isenye, and Ngoreme communities. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Ikoma-Nata-Isenye is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Ikoma

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Tanzania
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-Lakes
Primary Language(s): Ikoma-Nata-Isenye (ntk)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 65,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014946
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Ikoma of Tanzania

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

80%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Ikoma-Nata-Isenye
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

58%
%
Ikoma-Nata-Isenye Speakers

Media Resources in Ikoma-Nata-Isenye:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Ikoma-Nata-Isenye:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Ikoma-Nata-Isenye bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Ikoma are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Ikoma:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Ikoma of Tanzania

For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
readPsalm 47:7

Pray for those who live for idols that will never satisfy their hearts, asking that someone will tell them that God is the King of all the earth so that they will turn to Him in repentance and praise.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
readPsalm 22:27-28

Pray that entire families will turn to the Lord in repentance and faith, and that they will worship Him and declare His righteousness to the nations.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
readActs 17:23

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have a deep desire to know God more fully and to make Him known in creative ways to others who are still searching for truth.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
readJohn 1:5

Pray that when discouraging days come, those who cross cultures for the sake of the gospel will be comforted as they remember that the light of Christ is stronger than the darkness that surrounds them.

Ikoma Across Countries (ROP3 - 103977) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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