Morabaraba

Southern-African Nine-Men's-Morris variant — 12 pieces per side, diagonal lines, and 'cows' captured on mills.

🌤outdoor

What is Morabaraba?

Morabaraba is a traditional Southern African two-player board game, a variant of Nine Men's Morris played by shepherds among the Sotho and Tswana peoples. Each player has 12 pieces (called 'cows'). The board adds diagonal lines to the classic pattern, giving extra room for mills. Recognised as an official sport in South Africa since 1994, with a national federation running provincial and school leagues.

Quick facts

Category

Board Games

Type

Individual

Players

2–2

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇿🇦 South Africa

Estimated origin

Southern Africa — a Nine Men's Morris variant played by Sotho and Tswana shepherds

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified