Zulu Language

South Africa · language · culture

13.56 million speakers. Zulu is spoken by millions of people as their main language, mostly living in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It's the most widely spoken home language in the entire country.

Click consonants. Zulu has special sounds called click consonants that you make by clicking your tongue against different parts of your mouth. These sounds are used in conversation just like regular consonants are in English.

Official since 1994. When South Africa changed its government in 1994, Zulu became one of 12 official languages of the country. This recognized the language and culture of millions of South Africans who speak it every day.

Southern Bantu language. Zulu belongs to a family of languages called Southern Bantu languages, which are spoken across southern Africa. It is part of the Nguni branch, which includes other related languages in the region.

Understood by half of South Africa. More than 50% of all people living in South Africa understand Zulu, even if it is not their first language. This makes it incredibly important for communication across the whole country.