Locals still refer to the Falls as Mosi Oa Tunya and the area continues to be revered as a sacred site among the local tribes. David Livingstone was obviously not the first person to see the Victoria Falls, although he is always credited as having discovered it. Many locals feel they should be rebranded Mosi Oa Tunya.

Victoria Falls, known indigenously as Mosi-oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders"), holds immense historical, spiritual, and cultural significance for the Tonga and Lozi people of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Long before David Livingstone "discovered" the falls in 1855, it was a sacred site used for rain-making ceremonies and as a place of refuge during regional conflicts. The local tribes believed the falls were the home of the river god, Nyami Nyami, and the constant mist and rainbow were seen as manifestations of the divine. Historically, the falls served as a vital "landmark" for trans-continental migration and trade routes across the Zambezi River. In the 20th century, the falls became a symbol of the struggle for independence and regional cooperation, as the Victoria Falls Bridge (built in 1905) served as the backdrop for peace talks during the Rhodesian Bush War. In 2026, the falls remain a UNESCO World Heritage site that embodies the pride of African natural heritage, serving as a reminder of the sophisticated societies that lived and thrived around the Zambezi long before European colonial expansion.