Katana VentraIP

Languages of South Africa

At least thirty-five languages are spoken in South Africa, twelve of which are official languages of South Africa: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, South African Sign Language, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and English, which is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though all official languages are equal in legal status. In addition, South African Sign Language was recognised as the twelfth official language of South Africa by the National Assembly on 3 May 2023.[2] Unofficial languages are protected under the Constitution of South Africa, though few are mentioned by any name.

Unofficial and marginalised languages include what are considered some of Southern Africa's oldest languages: Khoekhoegowab, !Orakobab, Xirikobab, N|uuki, ǃXunthali, and Khwedam; and other African languages, such as SiPhuthi, IsiHlubi, SiBhaca, SiLala, SiNhlangwini (IsiZansi), SiNrebele (SiSumayela), IsiMpondo/IsiMpondro, IsiMpondomise/IsiMpromse/Isimpomse, KheLobedu, SePulana, HiPai, SeKutswe, SeṰokwa, SeHananwa, SiThonga, SiLaNgomane, SheKgalagari, XiRhonga, SeKopa (Sekgaga), and others. Most South Africans can speak more than one language,[3] and there is very often a diglossia between the official and unofficial language forms for speakers of the latter.

National Language Services

Official names of South Africa

Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities

Introduction to the languages of South Africa

Ethnologue Listing of South African Languages

PanAfriL10n page on South Africa

Statistics SA

Hornberger, Nancy H. "." Language in Society, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Dec., 1998), pp. 439–458

Language Policy, Language Education, Language Rights: Indigenous, Immigrant, and International Perspectives

Alexander, Mary. (January 2018)

The 11 languages of South Africa