# Sago Palm Thatch

> Roof thatch made from sago palm (Metroxylon) leaves, used across Melanesia; called natangura in Vanuatu.

- URL: https://roof.wiki/sago-palm-thatch/
- Topic: Roofing Materials
- Also known as: Natangura; Natangora; Sago thatch; Sago leaf roofing
- Regions: Oceania
- First published: 2026-11-02 · Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
- Cite as: "Sago Palm Thatch." roof.wiki. https://roof.wiki/sago-palm-thatch/

## Key facts

- **Plant:** Sago palm, Metroxylon spp.
- **Regions:** Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
- **Local name:** Natangura (Vanuatu)
- **Share in Vanuatu:** 41.7% of HIES 2010 household records

Sago palm thatch is roofing made from the leaves of sago palms of the genus *Metroxylon*. It is one of the main traditional roof coverings of Melanesia, including Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, where it is known in Bislama as *natangura* (also spelled natangora).

## Species and uses

Botanist John Dowe's study of sago palms in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands names *Metroxylon salomonense* and *M. warburgii* and records that the palms are used throughout the region as house-building material: the leaves provide a durable thatch, while the leaf stalks are used for supports and beams. In the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, Abelam ceremonial houses (see [haus tambaran](https://roof.wiki/haus-tambaran/)) are thatched with sago palm fronds.

## In use today

Sago thatch remains common where palms grow near villages and imported sheet is costly to transport. In Vanuatu's 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 41.7% of household records listed natangura as the main roof of the main house, close to the 49.2% with iron roofs. After Cyclone Pam in March 2015, an assessment by REACH found corrugated iron and natangura to be the most common roof materials before the storm, and the cyclone and a following drought caused shortages of thatching material.

## Characteristics

Like other [palm thatch](https://roof.wiki/palm-thatch/), sago thatch is light, cool and locally renewable, and is laid steeply to shed tropical rain. It needs periodic renewal, and its supply depends on palm stands that can be damaged by cyclones and drought.
## Sources and gaps

Figures for its service life in Melanesia: published information is limited.

## Sources

1. Sago palms, Metroxylon (Arecaceae) in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands (Dowe, 2002) — James Cook University. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/14376/
2. Vanuatu HIES 2010, roof material (H4) — IHSN Survey Catalog. https://catalog.ihsn.org/catalog/8492/variable/F2/V14?name=H4
3. Shelter and settlements assessment key findings, May 2015 — REACH / IMPACT Initiatives. https://repository.impact-initiatives.org/document/impact/738bacfa/reach_vut_factsheets_shelter_and_settlements_assessment_key_findings_may_2015_v2.pdf
4. Abelam - Settlements — Countries and Their Cultures. https://www.everyculture.com/Oceania/Abelam-Settlements.html