Zulu headmen The people of Zululand, the Zulu, were a powerful military force in southern Africa in the early 1800s. This photograph, taken in South Africa in 1888 shows three Zulu headmen wearing traditional warrior clothing and carrying the distinctive Zulu shields▪ Zulu Headmen ▪ The people of Zululand, the Zulu, were a powerful military force in southern Africa in the early 1800s. This photograph, taken in South Africa in 1888, shows three Zulu headmen wearing traditional warrior clothing and carrying the distinctive Zulu shields