Link: Recent Sakalava Updates

Population: 700,000

Location: western edge of Madagascar, from Morandava to Nosy Be.

The Sakalava are a group of people living on the island of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. They occupy the western edge of the island from Morandava to Nosy Be. They separate themselves approximately into the north (Boina) and south (Menabe) with the Betsiboka river being the middle. They are a hard working people, their work being mostly agriculture and cattle raising.  

The Sakalava enjoy their culture and very true Sakalava villages will have almost no other tribes in them.  It has been said about the Sakalava people that “it is very difficult to get them to convert to Christianity but once they convert then they are very strong Christians.”  There are very few Churches in the Sakalava areas of Madagascar and the ones that are in this region are not often attended by Sakalava people but by people of other tribes.