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Umuntfu ngumuntfu ngebantfu.
siSwati proverb · siSwati
Literally: “A person is a person through (other) people.”
Meaning: A human being becomes fully human only through their relationships and interactions with others. One's identity, dignity, character and humanity are realized in community rather than in isolation — this is the siSwati expression of the pan-African philosophy of ubuntu (siSwati: buntfu).
Background
This is the siSwati form of the foundational Nguni maxim shared across isiZulu ('Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu'), isiXhosa and siSwati. It articulates the ethic of ubuntu/buntfu — communal humanity and interdependence — that is widely cited across Southern Africa. I will not assign it a single invented origin; it is a traditional, orally transmitted saying common to the Nguni-speaking peoples.
How it is used
Said to remind someone that they owe their wellbeing and standing to the community, to discourage selfishness or arrogance, and to praise generosity, hospitality and mutual support. Often invoked at gatherings, in moral teaching to the young, at funerals and community events, and when explaining the concept of ubuntu/buntfu to others.