Until recently, it was thought that the Venda kingdom was Shona in origin and crossed the Limpopo River into South Africa in about 1700 with the migration of the Singo clan (a division of the Changamire Rozwi of Zimbabwe). Recent research shows that a distinctive Venda group with respect to religion, culture, language and social organisation pre-existed the Singo. These early proto-Venda were organised in the state of Thovela, comprising various ethnic groups including the Ngona, the Mbedzi and some pre-Singo Shona groups. They built in stone, mined gold, copper and tin and hunted for ivory, which they traded with the Lemba.
The Singo came to dominate the Venda state through their warrior chief Dimbanyika. His son Popi, attempted to recreate the main features of the Changamire kingdom. He adopted the name Thoho-ya-Ndou (Head of the Elephant) and became the most powerful of Venda rulers. Brotherly rivalries led to the division.
