What Is The Official Language Of South Africa

Its adoption as a higher language to the local languages was prevalent even amongst the original dutch settlers.

South africa is considered the rainbow nation since it is one of the most ethnically diverse nations on the continent. Language is a verbal representation of culture and people. For centuries south africa s official languages were european dutch english afrikaans. Sepedi also known as sesotho sa leboa sesotho setswana siswati tshivenda xitsonga afrikaans english isindebele isixhosa and isizulu.

Centuries ago the country was majorly inhabited by the pastoral khoikhoi the hunter gatherer san xhosa and zulu which is the most spoken language in south africa. The indigenous african languages of south africa which are official and therefore dominant can be divided into two geographical zones with nguni languages being predominant in the south eastern third of the country indian ocean coast and sotho tswana languages being predominant in the northern third of the country located further inland as also in botswana and lesotho. Most south africans over 99 speak one of these languages as a first language. There are eleven major languages of south africa.

Less than 2 of south african citizens speak a first language that is not an official language. South africa s constitution recognises 11 official languages. They are afrikaans english ndebele northern sotho sotho swazi tswana tsonga venda xhosa and zulu. Today english is the country s lingua franca and the primary language of south africa s asian people although many also retain their languages of origin.

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On the formation of the union of south africa in 1910 english was made the official language together with dutch which was replaced by afrikaans in 1925. Generally considered to be among the most multilingual countries in the world and among the most multiethnic in africa post apartheid south africa has 11 official languages recognized in its democratic constitution. South africa has eleven official languages. Afrikaans english swazi sotho swan ndebele venda zulu northern sotho tsonga and xhosa.

It originally came to south africa from british colonizers in 1795. English is the lingua franca of south africa. But after the mandela government came to power nine more indigenous.