Official Languages of South Africa

South Africa has eleven official languages:

• Afrikaans (Afrikaans)
• English
• Ndebele (isiNdebele)
• Northern Sotho (Sesotho sa Leboa)
• Sotho (Sesotho), Swati (siSwati)
• Tsonga (Xitsonga)
• Tswana (Setswana)
• Venda (Tshivenḓa)
• Xhosa (isiXhosa)
• Zulu (isiZulu)

The most common language spoken at home by South Africans is Zulu (24 percent speak Zulu at home), followed by Xhosa (18 percent), and Afrikaans (13 percent). English is only the sixth-most common home language in the country, but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.