What languages are spoken at the southern tip of Africa?
The Bantu languages are spoken in a very large area, including most of Africa from southern Cameroon eastward to Kenya and southward to the southernmost tip of the continent. Twelve Bantu languages are spoken by more than five million people, including Rundi, Rwanda, Shona, Xhosa, and Zulu.
How many official languages are in South Africa?
Eleven languages
Eleven languages (Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu) hold official status under the 1996 constitution, and an additional 11 (Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu, and Urdu) are to be promoted and developed; all …
Does South Africa have an official language?
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. For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans.
Does everyone in South Africa speak English?
English is spoken by 8.1% of individuals at home, making it the sixth most common home language in South Africa. More than three-fifths (61,2%) of white South Africans speak Afrikaans and 36.3% speak English.
Is Zulu an official language in South Africa?
Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa (24% of the population), and it is understood by over 50% of its population. It became one of South Africa’s 11 official languages in 1994. According to Ethnologue, it is the second-most-widely spoken of the Bantu languages, after Swahili.
Is Zulu a written language?
Zulu, like most indigenous Southern African languages, was not a written language until the arrival of missionaries from Europe, who documented the language using the Latin script. The first grammar book of the Zulu language was published in Norway in 1850 by the Norwegian missionary Hans Schreuder.
Why is English the official language in South Africa?
English. English is the lingua franca of South Africa. It originally came to South Africa from British colonizers in 1795. Its adoption as a higher language to the local languages was prevalent even amongst the original Dutch settlers.
Where is English spoken in South Africa?
About 20% of all coloured people in South Africa speak English as a home language. They are primarily concentrated in the provinces of Kwa-Zulu Natal and northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape in the former Transkei with some transplants being found in Johannesburg.
Are Zulus originally from Congo?
The Zulu believe that they are the direct descendants of the patriarch Zulu, who was born to a Nguni chief in the Congo Basin area. In the 16th century the Zulu migrated southward to their present location, incorporating many of the customs of the San, including the well-known linguistic clicking sounds of the region.