Initiation into womanhood

Female initiation in South Africa can take on the form of either communal ceremonies or individual occasions. The most common communal ceremonies are those of the Venda vusha and domba, the Swazi reed dance and the Ndebele and Pedi bojale. The Zulu, Xhosa and other Nguni cultures (except the Ndebele) all have ceremonies that are more individual - with initiation taking place as each individual reaches puberty.
With the onset of her first menarche cycle, a girl has to attend these initiation ceremonies. There she will be instructed in matters relating to sexual behaviour, tribal etiquette, wifely duties, married life and agriculture. The teaching of these matters is left in the hands of the most senior women in the village, as the custodians of tradition.
Unlike the boys' initiation, which takes place outside in the field, the girls are usually housed in a special hut built for the occasion. These huts are situated in or near the chief's kraal. During this period the girls are secluded, sometimes smeared with white or ochre clay, and forbidden to speak with any male person. Strict dietary rules exist during this time and the girls endure almost merciless discipline.
After the initiation period the girls receive new clothes from their mothers, shave off their hair and receive new names signifying their adult status. Unlike the greater part of Africa, female circumcision and clitoridectomy (female genital mutilation) is not practised in any South African culture. The initiates pass from childhood into adulthood with dignity and self-respect

http://myfundi.co.za/e/Initiation_cycles_of_traditional_South_African_cultures