Which language is mostly spoken in South Africa?
IsiZulu
IsiZulu is South Africa’s biggest language, spoken by almost a quarter (23%) of the population. Our other official languages are isiXhosa (spoken by 16%), Afrikaans (13.5%), English (10%), Sesotho sa Leboa (9%), Setswana and Sesotho (both 8%), Xitsonga (4.5%), siSwati and Tshivenda (both 2.5%), and isiNdebele (2%).
What is the first language of South Africa?
Zulu
The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). English is the fourth most common first language in the country (9.6%), but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.
Does everyone in South Africa speak Afrikaans?
Afrikaans is home language of 2.7-million white South Africans, or about six in every 10 (60.8%) white people. Next up is English, the first language of 1.6-million white South Africans. Three or four (35.9%) of every 10 white South Africans speak English at home.
Does South Africa speak Spanish?
It may come as a surprise to you but there is only one Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and that is Equatorial Guinea.
Who speaks Afrikaans?
| Afrikaans | |
|---|---|
| Native to | South Africa, Namibia |
| Ethnicity | Cape Coloureds Afrikaners Griqua Cape Malays Basters |
| Native speakers | 7.2 million (2016) 10.3 million L2 speakers in South Africa (2002) |
| Language family | Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Weser-Rhine Germanic Low Franconian Dutch (Hollandic dialect) Afrikaans |
Is the Zulu language dying?
There has been a loss of many of the old Zulu ‘A’ words or respect (hlonipha) words. This does not mean that Zulu is dying but it is, in fact, a living adapting language because in place of the older vocabulary it is incorporating words from English and modern technology to make it more practical and useable.
What does bra mean in South Africa?
bro/bra/bru/boet/boetie – a close male friend and a term of affection used by one male to another. All words are variations of the word “broer” in Afrikaans meaning “brother”.
What does Dala at me mean?
It could mean ‘fight’, ‘to kiss’ or ‘to do’. The most common phrase used is “Dala what you must” that means “do what you must”
What are the 11 official languages in South Africa?
South Africa has 11 official languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Pedi, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, Venda, and Southern Ndebele (in order of first language speakers). In this regard it is fourth only to Bolivia, India, and Zimbabwe in number. While all the languages are formally equal, some languages are spoken more than others.
What is the most commonly spoken language in South Africa?
– Ndebele: 1.1 million – Northern Sotho: 4.6 million – Southern Sotho: 3.9 million – Swati: 1.3 million – Tsonga: 2.3 million – Tswana: 4.1 million – Venda: 1.2 million – Xhosa: 8.2 million – Zulu: 11.6 million
What languages are spoken in South Africa?
South Africa has eleven official languages.They are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Swazi, Setswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.Most South Africans (over 99%) speak one of these languages as a first language. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Prior to 1994, South Africa had only two official languages, English and Afrikaans.
What is the native language of South Africa?
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 Mandela. Chances are you’ll run into someone who speaks a Bantu language most everywhere you go in South Africa.