WELCOME!

Select the language you wish to learn...


 

Welcome to this website where you can learn some basic phrases in an African language free of charge!

The phrases that you will learn are relevant to South Africans who would like to acquire some basic skills in an African language. Learning a new language is always exciting and you will see that we have developed the course in a way that allows you to systematically work through the vocabulary relevant to a particular theme. There is a video clip at the end of each theme showing the context in which the vocabulary can be used. We wish you success!

 Which African language should I learn?

Nine of South Africa's eleven official languages are African languages: Xhosa, Zulu, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho and Tswana. They belong to a large family of languages, comprising more than a thousand languages and dialects, which are spoken largely in equatorial Africa and to the south of it. We currently offer Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Southern Sotho and Xhosa online. As most Africans speak more than one (even four or five) of the various languages, you need not be too concerned that you will go wrong in the choice you make.

What are the differences between the languages?

There are so many similarities between the African languages that it is generally accepted that they all developed from some common proto-language form, known as Ur-Bantu. These languages are often still referred to as the "Bantu" languages. It is important to note that while the term "Bantu" fell into disrepute during the apartheid era when it was misapplied, it is nevertheless the most accepted term internationally. South Africa's African languages are divided into the following four main groups: