Njinga Ana de Sousa Mbande

Njinga Ana de Sousa Mbande was a Southwest African ruler who ruled the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day northern Angola. Born into the ruling family of Ndongo, she received military and political training as a child and demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises as an ambassador to the Portuguese Empire. In 1624, she assumed power over Ndongo after the death of her brother Mbandi. During the rapid growth of the African slave trade and Portuguese encroachment in South West Africa, Njinga's army was severely depleted and went into exile. She married Imbangala warlord Kasanje and conquered the Kingdom of Matamba from 1631 to 1635. In 1641, she entered into an alliance with the Dutch West India Company, reclaiming large parts of Ndongo.

Nzingha, the Mother of Angola, is a remarkable leader and woman known for her political and diplomatic acumen, military tactics, and resistance against oppression. Despite her attempts to become a male ruler, her female successors were accepted as rulers. Nzingha's clever use of gender and political understanding laid the foundation for future leaders in Ndongo. In the 104 years following her death in 1663, queens ruled for at least eighty of them. Nzingha is a leadership role model for all generations of Angolan women, who display remarkable social independence and are found in the country's army, police force, government, and public and private economic sectors.

A major street in Luanda is named after her, and a statue of her was placed in Kinaxixi in 2002. The National Reserve Bank of Angola issued a 20 Kwanza coin in 2014 in recognition of her role in defending self-determination and cultural identity. Angolan film Njinga: Queen Of Angola was released in 2013, and a Starz series, Queen Nzinga, is in development. Nzinga is also featured in the Kongolese civilization in Civilization VI and the 2023 Netflix docudrama African Queens: Njinga.