Paying a “bride price” or lobola is an expected tradition for many couples hoping to marry in Africa. It is the custom for the groom’s family to pay the bride’s family a certain amount of money for her hand in marriage. In African history, the lobola was paid in cows, but cash is more common now. And the expected price has most definitely gone up in modern times. This causes many young African couples to continue their relationships and have families without first getting married.
