![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() More than half (50.2%) of Afrikaans speakers are coloured, 40% are white, 9% black and just 1% Indian. Over the centuries it has picked up many influences from African languages, as well as from European colonial languages such as English, French and German. English is widely used as a second language and common language of communication, mainly in the cities.Īfrikaans is a version of Dutch that evolved out of a South Holland dialect brought here in the 1600s. Out of the 4.9-million South Africans who speak English as a first language, a third (33%) are white, a quarter (24%) are black, 22% are Indian and 19% are coloured South Africans. ![]() 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%).Įnglish is an urban language of public life, widely used in the media, business and government. IsiZulu is South Africa’s biggest language, spoken by almost a quarter (23%) of the population. Thirty are living languages, and four extinct Khoesan languages. South Africa has about 34 historically established languages. In 1996 South Africa’s new constitution gave official protection to all of the country’s major languages. African languages, spoken by at least 80% of the people, were ignored. 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.įor centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans. South Africa is a diverse nation with a rich language heritage. ![]()
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