The most common language in South Africa is IsiZulu, which is spoken by over a quarter (23%) of the population. Sesotho sa Leboa (9%), Setswana and Sesotho (both 8%), Xitsonga (4.5%), siSwati and Tshivenda (both 2.5%), and isiNdebele (2%), together with Afrikaans (13.5%), English (10%), and isiXhosa (16%), are our other official languages.
Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu are the official languages.
Dutch, English, and Afrikaans were the three official languages of South Africa for many years. At least 80% of the population speaks African languages, yet they were disregarded. All main languages in South Africa were given formal protection under the country’s new constitution in 1996.
There are roughly 34 historically rooted languages in South Africa. There are four extinct Khoesan languages and thirty surviving ones.
English is a widely utilized urban language in commerce, government, and public life. 33 percent of the 4.9 million South Africans who speak English as their native language are white, 24 percent are black, 22 percent are Indian, and 19 percent are people of color. Especially in cities, English is frequently utilized as a second language and everyday language of communication.
Afrikaans, a dialect of Dutch that was brought to this country in the 1600s from South Holland, is a variation of the language. The majority (50.2%) of Afrikaans speakers are colored, followed by white (40%), black (9%) and Indian (1%).
Two main categories may be drawn from the nine African languages:
Xitsonga, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, and other Nguni-Tsonga languages.
Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, and Tshivenda are among the Sotho-Makua-Venda languages.
Only Xitsonga belongs to the Tswa-Ronga subfamily of the first group, whereas isiZulu, isiXhosa, isNdebele, and siSwati are Nguni languages.
Similar to how Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, and Setswana are related Sotho languages, Tshivenda is a member of the Sotho-Makua-Venda subfamily but stands somewhat independently.
