The languages of South Africa
South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their cultures. These are:
Other languages spoken in South Africa and mentioned in the Constitution are the Khoi, Nama and San languages, sign language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu. There are also a few indigenous creoles and pidgins.
English is generally understood across the country, being the language of business, politics and the media, and the country's lingua franca. But it only ranks joint fifth out of 11 as a home language.
South Africa's linguistic diversity means all 11 languages have had a profound effect on each other. South African English, for example, is littered with words and phrases from Afrikaans, isiZulu, Nama and other African languages.
And African-language speakers often pepper their speech with English and Afrikaans, as this isiZulu example recorded in Soweto by MJH Mfusi shows (English is in italics, and Afrikaans in bold):
"I-Chiefs isidle nge-referee's optional time, otherwise ngabe ihambe sleg. Maar why benga stopi this system ye-injury time?"
"Chiefs [a local soccer team] have won owing to the referee's optional time, otherwise they could have lost. But why is this system of injury time not phased out?"
Language distribution
According to the 2001 census, isiZulu is the mother tongue of 23.8% of South Africa's population, followed by isiXhosa at 17.6%, Afrikaans at 13.3%, Sepedi at 9.4%, and English and Setswana each at 8.2%.
Sesotho is the mother tongue of 7.9% of South Africans, while the remaining four official languages are spoken at home by less than 5% of the population each.
IsiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati and isiNdebele are collectively referred to as the Nguni languages, and have many similarities in syntax and grammar. The Sotho languages - Setswana, Sepedi and Sesotho - also have much in common.
According to historical data, many of South Africa's indigenous tribes share a common ancestry. But as groupings and clans broke up in search of autonomy and greener pastures for their livestock, variations of the common languages evolved.
Afrikaans
Afrikaans has its roots in 17th century Dutch, with influences from English, Malay, German, Portuguese, French and some African languages. One of the first works of written Afrikaans was Bayaan-ud-djyn, an Islamic tract written in Arabic script by Abu Bakr.
Distribution of Afrikaans speakers
Initially known as Cape Dutch, Afrikaans was largely a spoken language for people living in the Cape, with proper Dutch the formal, written language.
Afrikaans came into its own with the growth of Afrikaner identity, being declared an official language - with English - of the Union of South Africa in 1925. The language was promoted alongside Afrikaner nationalism after 1948 and played an important role in minority white rule in apartheid South Africa. The 1976 schoolchildren's uprising was sparked by the proposed imposition of Afrikaans in township schools.
Afrikaans is spoken mainly by white Afrikaners, coloured South Africans and sections of the black population. Although the language has European roots, today the majority of Afrikaans-speakers are not white.
- Home language to: 13.3% of the population
- Family: Indo-European
- Varieties: Eastern Cape Afrikaans (Oosgrensafrikaans, which became Standard Afrikaans), Cape Afrikaans (Kaapse Afrikaans) and Orange River Afrikaans (Oranjerivierafrikaans)
English
English has been both a highly influential language in South Africa, and a language influenced, in turn, by adaptation in the country's different communities. Estimates based on the 1991 census suggest that some 45% of the population have a speaking knowledge of English.
Distribution of English speakers
English was declared the official language of the Cape Colony in 1822 (replacing Dutch), and the stated language policy of the government of the time was one of Anglicization. On the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, which united the former Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State with the Cape and Natal colonies, English was made the official language together with Dutch, which was replaced by Afrikaans in 1925.
Today, English is the country's lingua franca, and the primary language of government, business, and commerce. It is a compulsory subject in all schools, and the medium of instruction in most schools and tertiary institutions.
As a home language, English is spoken by 10% of the population - one in three of which are not white. South Africa's Asian people, most of whom are Indian in origin, are largely English-speaking, although many also retain their languages of origin. There is also a significant group of Chinese South Africans, also largely English-speaking but who also retain their languages of origin as well.
South African English is an established and unique dialect, with strong influences from Afrikaans and the country's many African languages.
- Home language to: 8.2% of the population
- Family: Indo-European
- Varieties: Black South African English (BSAE), Indian English, Coloured English, Afrikaans English
IsiNdebele
IsiNdebele, the language of the Ndebele people, is one of South Africa's four Nguni languages. The Ndebele were originally an offshoot of the Nguni people of KwaZulu-Natal, while the languages amaNala and amaNzunza are related to those of Zimbabwe's amaNdebele people.
Distribution of isiNdebele speakers
IsiNdebele is mainly spoken in the provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, around the towns of Mokopane, Polokwane, Pretoria, Bronkhorstspruit, Middelburg, Witbank, Delmas, Standerton, Marble Hall, Groblersdal, Hendrina, Belfast and Bethal.
To tourists, the Ndebele people are best known for the vibrant geometric patterns with which they decorate their houses, the colourful traditional dress, and their intricate and skilful beadwork.
Like the country's other African languages, isiNdebele is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence.
- Home language to: 1.6% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: Manala and Ndzundza (or Nzunza)
IsiXhosa
South Africa's second-largest language, isiXhosa is also known as the Southern or Cape Nguni, and is closely related to isiZulu, the most common home language in the country. It is spoken mainly in the former Transkei, Ciskei and Eastern Cape regions.
Distribution of isiXhosa speakers
IsiXhosa is one of the country's four Nguni languages. It too is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence.
Famous Xhosa South Africans include former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela, and current President Thabo Mbeki.
- Home language to: 17.6% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: The most distinct variety is isiMpondo (isiNdrondroza). Other dialects include Thembu, Bomvana, Mpondimise, Rharhabe, Gcaleka, Xesibe, Bhaca, Cele, Hlubi, Ntlangwini, Ngqika, Mfengu
IsiZulu
IsiZulu is the language of South Africa's largest ethnic group, the Zulu people, who take their name from the chief who founded the royal line in the 16th century. The warrior king Shaka raised the nation to prominence in the early 19th century. The current monarch is King Goodwill Zwelithini.
Distribution of isiZulu speakers
A tonal language and one of the country's four Nguni languages, isiZulu is closely related to isiXhosa. It is probably the most widely understood African language in South Africa, spoken from the Cape to Zimbabwe but mainly concentrated in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The writing of Zulu was started by missionaries in what was then Natal in the 19th century, with the first Zulu translation of the bible produced in 1883. The first work of isiZulu literature was Thomas Mofolo's classic novel Chaka, which was completed in 1910 and published in 1925, with the first English translation produced in 1930. The book reinvents the legendary Zulu king Shaka, portraying him as a heroic but tragic figure, a monarch to rival Shakespeare's Macbeth.
- Home language to: 23.8% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties:Tthe central KwaZulu variety, the KwaZulu coast variety, the Natal coast variety, the lower Natal coast variety, the south west Natal variety, the northern Natal variety, the northern-Swati border variety, the Natal-Eastern Cape border variety and some urban varieties
Sepedi
Otherwise known as Northern Sotho or Sesotho sa Leboa, Sepedi is mostly spoken in the province of Limpopo, as well as in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
Distribution of Sepedi speakers
It is one of South Africa's three Sotho languages, with different dialect clusters are found in the Sepedi-speaking area.
- Home language to: 9.4% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: South Central (Kopa, Ndebele Sotho), Central (Pedi, Tau, Kone), North Western (Tlokwa, Hananwa, Matlala, Moletši, Mamabolo), North Eastern (Lobedu, Phalaborwa, Kgaga, Dzwabo) Eastern (Pai), and East Central (Pulana, Kutswe)
Sesotho
Sesotho, or Southern Sotho, is spoken in the country of Lesotho, which is entirely surrounded by South African territory, as well as in the Free State province, southern Gauteng, and in the vicinity of Pretoria and Brits.
Distribution of Sesotho speakers
With Setswana and isiZulu, Sesotho was one of the first African languages to be rendered in written form, and it has an extensive literature. Sesotho writing was initiated by the missionaries Casalis and Arbousset of the Paris Evangelical Mission, who arrived at Thaba Bosiu in 1833.
The original written form was based on the Tlokwa dialect, but today is mostly based on the Kwena and Fokeng dialects, although there are variations.
- Home language to: 7.9% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: Sekgolokwe; Setlokwa; Sekwena; Serotse (Selozi)
Setswana
The language of the Tswana people is spoken mostly in Botswana, a country on the northwestern border of South Africa, as well as in the Northern Cape province, the central and western Free State and in North West.
Distribution of Setswana speakers
Setswana was the first Sotho language to have a written form. In 1806 Heinrich Lictenstein wrote Upon the Language of the Beetjuana (as a British protectorate, Botswana was originally known as Bechuanaland).
In 1818, Dr Robert Moffat from the London Missionary Society arrived among the Batlhaping in Kudumane, and built Botswana's first school. In 1825 he realised that he must use and write Setswana in his teachings, and began a long translation of the bible into Setswana, which was finally completed in 1857.
One of most famous Setswana speakers was the intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator and writer Sol T Plaatje. A founder member of the African National Congress, Plaatje was fluent in at least seven languages, and translated the works of Shakespeare into Setswana.
- Home language to: 8.2% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: Related varieties include Sekgalagadi in Botswana and Shilozi in Namibia and Zambia
siSwati
SiSwati, the language of the Swazi nation, is spoken mainly in eastern Mpumalanga, an area that borders the country of Swaziland.
Distribution of siSwati speakers
The Swazi people originated from the Pongola river valley in KwaZulu-Natal, migrating from there to Swaziland. Their country was under British control from 1903 to 1968.
SiSwati is one of South Africa's four Nguni languages, and closely related to isiZulu. However, much has been done in the last few decades to enforce the differences between the languages for the purpose of standardising siSwati.
- Home language to: 2.7% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: Thithiza and Yeyeza
Tshivenda
Tshivenda is generally regarded as a language isolate. Its is the language of the Venda people, who are culturally closer to the Shona people of Zimbabwe than to any other South African group.
Distribution of Tshivenda speakers
Spoken mainly in northern Limpopo, an area bordering the country of Zimbabwe, Tshivenda shares features with Shona and Sepedi, with some influence from Nguni languages. The Tshipani variety of Tshivenda is used as the standard.
The language requires a number of additional characters or diacritical signs not found on standard keyboards. For this reason Translate.org.za, an NGO promoting open-source software in indigenous languages, has produced a special program to enable Tshivenda speakers to easily type their language.
The Venda people first settled in the Soutpansberg Mountains region, where the ruins of their first capital, Dzata's, can still be found.
- Home language to: 2.3% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: Tshiilafuri (Western Venda; has traces of Sotho); Tshimanda (Central Venda; commonly used by the Luonde and Lwamondo); Venda proper (found in Tshivhase and Mphaphuli's areas); Tshimbedzi (Eastern Venda); Tshilembethu (North-Easter Venda) and Extreme Eastern Venda (influenced by Karanga from Zimbabwe); as well as Tshironga (Southern Venda) and South-Eastern Venda (shows influence of Tonga and Sotho)
Xitsonga
The Tsonga people came to South Africa long after most other African people, settling in the Limpopo River valley. Their language, Xitsonga, is spoken in eastern Limpopo and Mumalanga, areas near the border of the country of Mozambique, as well as in southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe.
Distribution of Xitsonga speakers
Xitsonga is similar to Xishangana, the language of the Shangaan people, and also has some Nguni influences.
- Home language to: 4.4% of the population
- Family: Bantu Language Family
- Varieties: A number of varieties including Xinhlanganu and Xinkuna
Indigenous creoles and pidgins
Tsotsi taal, an amalgam of Afrikaans, English and a number of African languages, is widely spoken in urban areas, mainly by males. The word "tsotsi" means "gangster" or "hoodlum" - given the association with urban criminality - while "taal" is Afrikaans for "language".
Otherwise known as Iscamtho, tsotsi taal developed in cities and townships to facilitate communication between the different language groups. It is a dynamic language, with new words and phrases being regularly introduced.
Fanagalo is a pidgin that grew up mainly on South Africa's gold mines, to allow communication between white supervisors and African labourers during the colonial and apartheid era.
It is essentially a simplified version of isiZulu and isiXhosa - about 70% of the lexicon is from isiZulu - and incorporates elements from English, Dutch, Afrikaans and Portuguese. It does not have the range of Zulu inflections, and tends to follow English word order. Similar pidgins are Cikabanga in Zambia and Chilapalapa in Zimbabwe.
Fanagalo is a rare example of a pidgin based on an indigenous language rather than on the language of a colonising or trading power.
Provincial variations
The languages you will hear most frequently spoken in South Africa depend on where in the country you are.
IsiXhosa, for instance, is spoken by more than 80% of South Africans in the Eastern Cape, while almost 80% of people in KwaZulu-Natal speak isiZulu. IsiZulu is also the most frequently spoken home language in Gauteng, but at a much smaller percentage. In Cape Town and its surrounds, Afrikaans comes into its own.
Predominant languages by province (Census 2001 figures, rounded off) are:
- Eastern Cape - isiXhosa (83%), Afrikaans (9%)
- Free State - Sesotho (64%), Afrikaans (12%)
- Gauteng - isiZulu (21%), Afrikaans (14%), Sesotho (13%), English (12%)
- KwaZulu-Natal - isiZulu (81%), English (13%)
- Limpopo - Sepedi (52%), Xitsonga (22%), Tshivenda (16%)
- Mpumalanga - siSwati (31%), isiZulu (26%), isiNdebele (12%)
- Northern Cape - Afrikaans (68%), Setswana (21%)
- North West - Setswana (65%), Afrikaans (7%)
- Western Cape - Afrikaans (55%), English (19%), isiXhosa (23%)
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