A large ethnic group in southern Africa, numbering about 7 million (1987) and living mainly in Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa. The Sotho are predominantly farmers, living in small village groups. They speak a variety of closely related languages belonging to the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo family. With English, Sotho is the official language of Lesotho.
Red represents work. Yellow symbolizes justice. The design is based on the French tricolour. Green stands for solidarity. Effective date: 10 November 1958.