| Ngwane III | |
|---|---|
| King of Swaziland | |
| Reign | 1745 – 1780 |
| Coronation | ~1745 |
| Predecessor | Dlamini III |
| Successor | Ndvungunye |
| Born | early 1700s |
| Died | 1780 Shiselweni |
| Issue | Ndvungunye |
| House | House of Dlamini |
| Father | Dlamini III |
| Mother | LaYaka Ndwandwe |
Ngwane III was King of kaNgwane from 1745 to 1780. He is considered to be the first King of modern Eswatini.[1] For his name the people were called bakaNgwane and the country was called kaNgwane or lakaNgwane. Ngwane was the son of Dlamini III and Queen LaYaka Ndwandwe.[2] Dlamini was succeeded by Ngwane III his son with Queen LaYaka Ndwandwe.[2] He took over the Dlamini chieftaincy and established settlements south of the Pongola River, later moving them to the north of the river banks.[1] This makes Ngwane and his followers the founders of modern Swaziland.[1] Ngwane ruled his Kingdom from the south east of Swaziland in the present Shiselweni district and his headquarters were called Zombodze at the foot of the Mhlosheni hills.[1] It was at Zombodze that the Nguni ceremony incwala was celebrated for the first time.