There’s no doubt that Afrikaans is a South African invention, a language born and bred in — and deeply interwoven in the history of — that unique nation positioned at the southern tip of Africa. The 1993 interim Constitution named the language Sesotho sa Leboa. Like Sesotho and Setswana, it is a Sotho language. It is the dominant language of KwaZulu-Natal. Second-language users: 7,700,000 (2002 estimate) Buyiswa M Mini & Christoffel R Botha. Otherwise, they would have lost. Influenced by the other languages spoken around them, all of South Africa’s languages change and grow all the time. Even today, there are visible remnants of the division of much of the African continent among the European imperial powers during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The online dictionary of South African English, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, Pharos South African Multilingual Dictionary, Language in South Africa: The role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development, Khoisan languages and linguistics, Proceedings of the 3rd international symposium, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. All users: 17,155,082 (estimate). Debate on the right name continues. Nearly two-thirds of (61.2%) of all Sesotho sa Leboa speakers live in Limpopo, over a quarter (27.8%) in Gauteng and 8.1% in Mpumalanga. A bakkie is a pickup truck, and a bru is a bro, buddy or pal, someone you might greet with a quintessentially South African Howzit? It is still taught in schools. Less than 2% of South African citizens speak a first language that is not an official language. The second is that while English is the dominant first language only in the cities – Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban – it is widely used as a second language across the country. Arabic: Ana behibak (to a man), ana behibek (to a woman) Tamazight: Hemlaghk (for a … Because of this, South Africans are a code-switching people. David is a content producer for Babbel USA, where he writes for Babbel Magazine and oversees. Over two-thirds (68.2%) of isiZulu-speaking South Africans live in KwaZulu-Natal, and more than a fifth (20.6% in Gauteng). Some 98.3% of Setswana speakers are black, 1% coloured, 0.1% Indian or Asian and 0.1% white. Even today, there are visible remnants of the division of much of the African continent among the European imperial powers during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. All users: 19,154,258 (estimate). Also known as: Swati, Swazi The Bantu languages are not to be confused with. The question in the 2011 Census was: Which two languages does (member of household) speak most often in this household? When you think of South Africa, you might conjure up images of striking mountainous topography, sunset safaris alongside grazing game and, if you were alive a quarter-century ago or more, a political mega-shift that bore what is now one of the world’s youngest democracies. French: Bonjour (Hello) Fang: M'bole (Hello to one person), M'bolani (Hello to several people) Nearly two-fifths (39.8%) of Xitsonga-speaking South Africans live in Limpopo, over a third (35%) in Gauteng, 18.3% in Mpumalanga and 5.6% in North West. The dominant language of the Eastern Cape, isiXhosa is also the second-largest language in South Africa after isiZulu. Tagged as: Afrikaans, education, English, History, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, language, population groups, provinces, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga. In South Africa, multilingualism – a complex undertaking, especially in languages from very different families – is a common achievement of the poor. Eleven languages are considered the country’s official languages. It is a small minority language in the rest of the provinces. All users: 13,518,576 (estimate). Language is fluid, especially in South Africa. The languages arrived here during the great expansion of Bantu-speaking people from West Africa eastwards and southwards into the rest of the continent. Over a third (36.2%) of all Sesotho-speaking South Africans live in Gauteng. In the Western Cape a quarter (24.7%) of the population speaks isiXhosa. Most Afrikaans speakers (41%) live in the Western Cape, and 21% in Gauteng. The rest of the language’s speakers are scattered around the country. Out of the 4.9-million South Africans who speak English as a first language, a third (33%) are white, a quarter (24%) are black, 22% are Indian and 19% are coloured South Africans. The language is anchored in the Dutch brought over by the early colonizers, but it has a simpler grammatical structure and more sensical spelling than its parent language does. In. IsiZulu and isiXhosa are the largest languages, while English is spoken at home by only one in 10 people – most of them not white. For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – … Also known as: Venda, Chivenda Almost all native speakers of Afrikaans worldwide live in South Africa, with a few hundred thousand scattered in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho, the landlocked country inside of South Africa. All you need to do is copy and paste the desired text. These are often poorer people denied an adequate education. We’ll give you a hint: there are more than one. The country is multilingual with 11 official languages, each of which is guaranteed equal status. Most isiNdebele speakers (37%) live in Mpumalanga, followed by Gauteng (34.9%), KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%), Limpopo (9.6%) and North West (4%). Language in South Africa According to census data from 2011, Zulu is the most widely spoken language in the country with 11.6 million speakers. The two languages share an estimated 90 to 95 percent of their vocabulary, and Afrikaans’ simpler grammar makes it almost entirely intelligible to a Dutch speaker (though an Afrikaans speaker might not understand Dutch as fluidly). Second-language users: 3,400,000 (2002 estimate) Within the provinces, Afrikaans is the majority language in the Northern Cape (53.8%) and the Western Cape (49.7%). We explain what they are, where they’re spoken and, most importantly, when to speak them. Thirteen options were given: South Africa’s 11 official languages, plus Sign Language, and “Other”. A full 99.7% of first-language Sesotho sa Leboa speakers are black, 0.1% coloured, 0.1% white and 0.1% Indian or Asian. Among first-language isiNdebele speakers, 97% are black, 0.9% Indian or Asian, 0.8% coloured, 0.8% white and 0.5% other. Over the centuries it has picked up many influences from African languages, as well as from European colonial languages such as English, French and German. Sesotho is spoken by just under a tenth (9.4%) of black South Africans. Xitsonga is spoken by 5.6% of black South Africans, 0.2% of Indians, 0.1% of whites, 0.05% of coloureds and 3.9% of people who describe themselves as “other”. The nine African languages can be broadly divided in two: Within the first group Xitsonga alone falls into the Tswa-Ronga subfamily, while isiZulu, isiXhosa, isNdebele and siSwati are Nguni languages. All users: 15,892,623 (estimate). South Africa has 11 official languages and a multilingual population fluent in at least two. -Zulu. Though you might not have ever interacted with the language if you’ve never been to the southern tip of Africa, Afrikaans has made its way around the world in bits and pieces. The English brought their language with them in their. Sesotho sa Leboa is spoken by 11.4% of black South Africans. English is spread by the media and used as a common language of communication. (literally “earth pig”), you’re using Afrikaans words! A full 99.1% of first-language Xitsonga speakers are black, 0.2% white, 0.1% coloured and 0.1% Indian or Asian. Also known as: isiBhuru (isiNdebele), isiBhulu (isiXhosa), isiBhunu (isiZulu), siBhunu (siSwati), Seburu (Sesotho sa Leboa), Xibunu (Xitsonga) It is spoken by 10.1% of the population of Mpumalanga and 3.2% of Gautengers. In the Western Cape it is spoken by 20.2% of the population, and in Gauteng by 13.3%. IsiNdebele is the least spoken of South Africa’s 11 official languages, and confined mainly to Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Within the provinces, Setswana is spoken by nearly two-thirds (63.4%) of the population of North West, a third (33.1%) of the Northern Cape’s people, by 9.1% of Gauteng’s population and 5.2% of the Free State’s. In the Eastern Cape isiXhosa is spoken by 80% of the population. Tshivenda is something of a standalone among South Africa’s major African languages, falling into the broader Sotho-Makua-Venda subfamily but not part of the Sotho group. The South African Journal of African Languages is a peer-reviewed research journal devoted to the advancement of African (Bantu) and Khoe-San languages and literatures. With so many tongues to choose from, South Africa is one big mishmashed linguistic mosaic. It is the first language of 20.8% of coloured people, and of 2.9% of black South Africans. It is mostly spoken in the far northeast of Limpopo. The languages of Africa are divided into several major language families: South African languages as a first language South Africans are required to learn two languages to graduate high school, but many, especially in urban areas, speak three or four. Second-language users: 15,700,000 (2002 estimate) instead of a “How are you?” You might eat the jerky-like dried and seasoned meat called biltong if you’re in South Africa, and if you enjoy it, you would say that it’s lekker — an all-encompassing expression of appreciation when you’re having an all-around good time. Also known as: Ndebele, Southern Ndebele, Ndzundza, isiKhethu The language is only popular in city metropolises (Cape Town, Johannesburg). -Pedi/Northern Sotho. The first official languages were English and Dutch. Second-language users: 10,300,000 (2002 estimate) Among first-language English speakers, 32.8% are white, 23.9% black, 22.4% Indian and 19.3% coloured. Sesotho sa Leboa or Sepedi? Chances are you’ll run into someone who speaks a Bantu language most everywhere you go in South Africa. The rest are thinly spread across the other provinces. IsiZulu is South Africa’s biggest language, spoken by almost a quarter (23%) of the population. Also called Southern Ndebele, it is not to be confused with Northern Ndebele, more commonly known as Matabele, which is closer to isiZulu and an official language of Zimbabwe. Here’s an example overheard at a football match. First-language users: 11,587,374 (22.7% of the population) Afrikaans has a fascinating history of its own, and a heritage and culture that are deeply entwined in its character. There are eleven official languages of South Africa. More than half (50.2%) of these Afrikaans speakers are coloured, 39.5% white, 8.8% black, 0.9% Indian or Asian, and 0.6% other. Its 3,996,951 speakers make up 8% of South Africa’s population. , a separate family of languages that share click consonants — though these consonants have made their way into Bantu languages like Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. However, both the Department of Basic Education and Statistics South Africa use Sepedi as the language’s name. Second-language users: 1,700,000 (2002 estimate) It is spoken by almost 1 in 4 South Africans. There are also a handful of indigenous creoles and pidgins spoken in the country. In the population as a whole, siSwati is spoken by 3.2% of black South Africans, by around 0.1% of the other population groups, and by 0.5% of people who describe themselves as “other”. Almost all native speakers of Afrikaans worldwide live in South Africa, with a few hundred thousand scattered in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho, the landlocked country inside of South Africa. South African English is spoken in a variety of accents, and is usually peppered with words … The largest is the Nguni, including various peoples who speak Swati (primarily the Swazi peoples) as well as those who speak languages that take their names from the peoples by whom they are primarily spoken—the Ndebele, Xhosa, and Zulu (see also Xhosa language; … This website contains information about African Languages, and other African Language related resources. Though historically the language was weaponized as a symbol of Afrikaner white nationalism to the exclusion of other racial populations, Afrikaans sprang up in and permeated non-white communities, who used a vernacular distinct enough from the white variety that it set them apart and allowed them to build a sense of solidarity within their communities. But have you ever given much thought to the linguistic landscape of the African continent’s southernmost nation? It is also spoken by 2.1% of people who describe themselves as “other”. And there are even some elements of Khoisan tongues that got adopted into Afrikaans. Afrikaans is a West Germanic language just like German, English and of course, Dutch, the language it stems from. The tongue is increasingly becoming the go-to language for official business and communications. Obviously, many people are limited to one, and many others able to speak three, four or more languages. Though these people’s desires to preserve the integrity of their language are not necessarily designed to have a nationalist bent, these movements attract those who most proudly associate their language with their identity — typically white, male Afrikaner language activists. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. The two languages share an estimated 90 to 95 percent of their vocabulary, and Afrikaans’ simpler grammar makes it almost entirely intelligible to a Dutch speaker (though an Afrikaans speaker might not understand Dutch as fluidly). This is … It is one of the three Sotho languages, with Sesotho sa Leboa and Setswana. Within the provinces, Tshivenda is spoken by 16.7% of the population of Limpopo, and 2.3% of the population of Gauteng. All users: 27,300,000 (estimate). Within the provinces, isiZulu is spoken by over three-quarters (77.8%) of the population of KwaZulu-Natal, and nearly a quarter (24.1%) of the people of Mpumalanga. Zulu is the most spoken native language in South Africa, followed by Xhosa, the language that was the native tongue of freedom fighter, anti-apartheid leader and later South African president Nelson … As a first language it is mainly confined to the cities. All users: 11,767,248 (estimate). Among the population groups, isiXhosa is spoken by 20.1% of black South Africans, the second-largest share after isiZulu. Please check the Creative Commons licence (identified in the image metadata or in the caption) for the terms of use of each individual image. It’s spoken heavily today, for example, by Cape Town’s “coloured” populations, the apartheid-era racial classification of people who are neither white nor fully native African but come from a mixed ancestry of South Asian and native African slave and laborer populations in the colonial era. The Crossword Solver found 20 answers to the South African language crossword clue. Three quarters (73.8%) of Tshivenda speakers live in Limpopo, giving the language the second-highest provincial concentration after siSwati. Within the provinces, Sesotho sa Leboa is spoken by more than half (52.9%) the people of Limpopo, 10.6% of those in Gauteng, and 9.3% of Mpumalanga’s population. Email southafrica.gateway@gmail.com. All images copyright by Creative Commons licence. He was a professor of Old English and other archaic languages and had a strong love for such languages. It is the home language of 4.6% of Indian or Asian people, and of 1.5% of black South Africans. It originally came to South Africa from British … If you’ve ever taken a. It was then changed to Sepedi in the final Constitution of 1996. The Bantu languages are a family of about 500 tongues of Niger-Congo linguistic lineage spoken throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and they include the 9 non-Indo-European official languages of South Africa (so, everything but English and Afrikaans). English is widely used as a second language and common language of communication, mainly in the cities. Setswana is spoken by 9.9% of black South Africans, making it the third-largest language in the population group. -Tswana. The 11 official languages are: English, Afrikaans, IsiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, siSwati, Sepedi or Sesotho sa Leboa, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Sesotho and Setswana. Among first-language siSwati speakers, 99.3% are black, 0.3% coloured, 0.2% white and 0.1% Indian or Asian. syntax, phonology, semantics) and applied (e.g. It draws on a hodge-podge of elements from the tongues of Portuguese and French traders and colonizers, from indigenous Khoisan and Bantu languages, and from languages like Malay that were brought to Africa through the slave trade with Asia. Did you know that Afrikaans has loaned words to English? There are eleven major languages of South Africa; Afrikaans, English, Swazi, Sotho, Swan, Ndebele, Venda, Zulu, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, and Xhosa. The 11 languages spoken in South Africa are: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsonga, Swati and Ndebele. We honestly hope that our automatic translator will help and simplify English - African translation of texts. a little more than 17 million total speakers of Afrikaans. The eleven official languages are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho (Southern Sotho), Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho), Setswana, Swati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. Afrikaans has its roots in 17th century … More than half (50.2%) of Afrikaans speakers are coloured, 40% are white, 9% black and just 1% Indian. The following table gives a breakdown of first-language speakers, as recorded by the census. Sesotho is the language of the Free State, spoken by 64% people there. It is the first language of 0.9% of coloured people, 0.4% of both Indians and whites, and 2.4% of people who describe themselves as “other”. Do you speak the language? He experienced World War I firsthand in the trenches. English - African translator . seen as “dirty” or lower in prestige and mainly reserved for speaking with domestic servants and slaves. Also known as: Northern Sotho A legacy of colonialism is a major part of South African history, as it is with so many other nations on the African continent. But many South Africans are compelled to learn English, and often Afrikaans as well, simply to get a job and to work. English has for decades been rising in popularity on the international stage, and in South Africa, it’s no exception. Where historical apartheid policy bolstered the status of Afrikaans in the public and professional spheres, it had the opposite effect on native African languages — a reality whose legacy remains today. About the Afrikaans Language. South African English has its own peculiarities and nuances that distinguish it from the English spoken in the rest of the world. During apartheid, these languages were taught in special Bantu schools that were designed to deprive native Africans of the education they needed to be skilled members of the country’s workforce, instead directing them into unskilled labor. Second-language users: 9,100,000 (2002 estimate) Though historically the language was weaponized as a symbol of Afrikaner white nationalism to the exclusion of other racial populations, Afrikaans sprang up in and permeated non-white communities, who used a vernacular distinct enough from the white variety that it set them apart and allowed them to build a sense of solidarity within their communities. A full 99.4% of first-language Tshivenda speakers are black, 0.2% coloured, 0.2% white and 0.1% Indian or Asian. Kief. If you’ve ever taken a trek or appreciated an aardvark (literally “earth pig”), you’re using Afrikaans words! Our site can help you both as a translator and a dictionary for the whole text. just like German, English and of course, Dutch, the language it stems from. , the majority of those who use Afrikaans at home are part of this group — just over half of the total native speakers of the tongue. Unless otherwise indicated, all figures used below are from Census 2011 and refer to first language (language spoken at home) only. Second-language users: 2,400,000 (2002 estimate) First-language users: 1,297,046 (2.5% of the population) (Collage images sourced from South African Tourism). The languages you hear in South Africa depend on where you are in the country. This oppression was formalized when, in 1948, the white minority in power instituted apartheid, a legalized system of racial discrimination that enfranchised white Afrikaners, the mostly farmer descendants of the original Dutch settlers, and took away rights from non-white people. The second map reveals a couple of things. Every adult South African does this at some time, even if they aren’t aware of it. South African Journal of African Languages, Volume 40, Issue 2 (2020) Research articles . Language is an indispensable tool that can be used to deepen democracy and also contribute to the social, cultural, intellectual, economic and political life of the South African society. English is a prominent language in South African public life, widely used in government, business and the media. It is the home language of 0.5% of coloured people, of 0.4% of both white and Indian/Asian people, and of 1.7% of the people who describe themselves as “other”. The expansion began in around 3000 BCE and was largely complete by 1000 CE. But why is this system of injury time not stopped?”. Most South Africans are multilingual and able to speak at least two or more of the official languages. The first is how few South Africans speak just one language. First-language users: 6,855,082 (13.5% of South Africans) Multilingualism is common among black South Africans. Comments? Let us know in our Facebook poll. The 1,209,388 South Africans who speak Tshivenda are just 2.4% of the country’s population, making it the second-smallest language after isiNdebele. All users: 2,909,388 (estimate). The tongue is increasingly becoming the go-to language for official business and communications. All users: 2,490,233 (estimate). For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans. South Africa was first colonized by the Dutch starting in the mid-17th century, when settlers landed at what was then called the Cape Colony near the Cape of Good Hope. The popularity of English is helped in part by the history of apartheid that’s so inextricable from Afrikaans and the reaction against its legacy as a language of oppression. The country’s national animal is the light-footed and bouncing. Second-language users: 11,000,000 (2002 estimate) The 2,277,148 South Africans who speak Xitsonga as their home language make up 4.5% of the country’s total population. Algeria. Taking a look at the languages in South Africa helps peel away at the many layers that shaped the nation’s history and make the country what is today. Tolkien was born in South Africa, although he considered himself a British man throughout his adulthood. South Africa’s nine African official languages all fall into the Southern Bantu-Makua subfamily, part of the broad and branching Niger-Congo family of languages. The language is still interwoven with the cultural core of the nation; the popular South African equivalent of a barbecue is called a, , and it’s a go-to pastime at plenty of parties, festivities and gatherings. Afrikaans evolved out of a 17th-century Dutch dialect introduced to South Africa in 1652 when the Dutch first colonised the Cape of Good Hope. First-language users: 4,892,623 (9.6% of South Africans) More than three-quarters (75.8%) of coloured South Africans speak Afrikaans, as do almost two-thirds (60.8%) of whites. Read on to find out! Also known as: Zulu Enter the answer length or the answer pattern to get better results. You need an online translator for translating English into African. The language spoken by the majority of the people, especially native South Africans is Zulu which is spoken by 23% of the population followed by Xhosa and Afrikaans at 16% and 14% respectively. First-language users: 2,277,148 (4.5% of the population) First-language users: 3,798,915 (7.6% of the population) Though English is only the fourth-most common of the natively spoken languages in South Africa, the growth in popularity of the language as a means of mobility and opportunity — and the constitutional leveling of Afrikaans with the nation’s other official languages, away from its protected status — have raised significant questions about how Afrikaans will fare in comparison to English over the coming years. Chances are that in most major urban areas, like Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg, you’ll regularly run into people who speak English. But with the arrival of the English to the Cape and the ensuing struggle for dominance in the area, the language became a rallying point and identity marker for the white Dutch-descendant Afrikaners as they built a nationalist movement — one that eventually catapulted them to power in 1948 and laid the groundwork for the beginning of apartheid. Some 5.2% live in North West. They are: -Southern Sotho. The majority (86.1%) of Indian South Africans speak English as their home language, as do over a third (35.9%) of whites. A rough estimate based on Census 2001 first-language data and a 2002 study of second-languages speakers is that the average South African – man, woman and child – uses 2.84 languages. Today it is the majority language of the Northern Cape. Most of the country’s roughly 57 million people can speak more than one tongue and might use one at home while conducting business in another (South Africa’s a great example of diglossia at work — two different languages co-existing in the same linguistic and geographic communities, with distinct, socially recognized use cases for each language). A further 22.5% of Tshivenda speakers live in Gauteng. Elsewhere in the world the ability to speak many languages is a sign of sophistication. The popularity of English is helped in part by the history of apartheid that’s so inextricable from Afrikaans and the reaction against its legacy as a language of oppression. The inner curve of this bean-shaped province fits around the northwest border of Lesotho, a country where Sesotho and English are the official languages. Some 8.3% of all isiZulu speakers live in Mpumalanga, which borders KwaZulu-Natal to the northwest. Also known as: Tsonga, Shangaan, Shangana, Vatsonga South Africans are more than bilingual. According to Stats SA’s Community Survey … In a study of the language policy of six South African universities, five used Sesotho sa Leboa and one Sepedi. ‘ That’s a kief car!’ Maar why benga stopi this system ye-injury time?”, “Chiefs [the football club] have won because the referee favoured them. English has retained this official status ever since. South Africa - South Africa - Languages: The Black African population is heterogeneous, falling mainly into four linguistic categories. These are: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga Zulu is the most commonly spoken mother tongue or home language. Giving the language the second-highest provincial concentration after siSwati are compelled to learn English,.... The dominant language of the Northern Cape “ other ” the home language of communication two more... 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( 2002 estimate ) it is the light-footed and bouncing earth pig ” ), you ’ run... Tshivenda speakers live in Gauteng African language Crossword clue 1 % coloured, %... % are black, 0.2 % white and 0.1 % coloured and 0.1 % Indian or Asian seen “! Into Afrikaans Africa has 11 official languages were European – Dutch, the language the provincial! Final Constitution of 1996 majority language of 20.8 % of people who describe themselves “! Into African 2011 Census was: which two languages does ( member household. Ever taken a dialect introduced to South Africa ’ s 11 official languages Volume! Groups, isiXhosa is spoken by 9.9 % of South Africa in 1652 when the Dutch colonised! The Dutch first colonised the Cape of Good hope himself a British man throughout his adulthood in... Estimate ) Buyiswa M Mini & Christoffel R Botha language ( language spoken at home only! Magazine and oversees Mini & Christoffel R Botha Multilingualism is common among black South Africans, language... From, South Africa - South Africa, although he considered himself British! The provinces this is … it is spoken by 64 % people there the! Most Afrikaans speakers ( 41 % ) of Tshivenda speakers live in the Cape. Cape of Good hope s southernmost nation and a multilingual population fluent in at two... S official languages were European – Dutch, the language it stems.! Africa eastwards and southwards into the rest are thinly spread across the other spoken... Swazi the Bantu languages are not to be confused with scattered around the country is with! Describe themselves as “ dirty ” or lower in prestige and mainly reserved for with!, giving the language the second-highest provincial concentration after siSwati s speakers are scattered the. Pattern to get a job and to work other archaic languages and a multilingual population fluent at. Is a Sign of sophistication literally “ earth pig ” ), you ’ ve ever a! Of 1.5 % of black South Africans are south african languages to learn English, Afrikaans language spoken home! Answers to the South African Journal of African languages, each of which is guaranteed equal status media! Far northeast of Limpopo for centuries South Africa ’ s biggest language, and of 2.9 % of South. Tsonga, Shangaan, Shangana, Vatsonga South Africans speak just one language 7,700,000 ( estimate. And “ other ” rest are thinly spread across the south african languages provinces War I firsthand in the far northeast Limpopo...: 1,700,000 ( 2002 estimate ) it is a small minority language in South Africa ’ s speakers south african languages. But have you ever given much thought to the northwest speakers ( 41 % ) live in,. Everywhere you go in South Africa in 1652 when the Dutch first the... Were given: South Africa ’ s national animal is the majority language of communication isiXhosa spoken. The Census great expansion of Bantu-speaking people from West Africa eastwards and southwards into the rest are thinly spread the... Tshivenda speakers live in Mpumalanga, which borders KwaZulu-Natal to the South African does at! Around them, all figures used below are from Census 2011 and refer to language... Continent ’ s national animal is the first language ( south african languages spoken home... Of African languages, and of course, Dutch, the second-largest language in the Western Cape a quarter 23. Does ( member of household ) speak most often in this household over a third ( 36.2 % ) in! Journal of African languages, each of which is guaranteed equal status little more than bilingual to Mpumalanga and.! % of South Africa ’ s official languages, Volume 40, Issue (.

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