Learning an African language - which one?

[EtienneK]

Why not just do business in English?

'cause I've found that most people like it when you can at least say a few words in their native tongue.

 

[JungleBoy]

Why not just do business in English?

Depending on what business you do, you might do better with some rudimentary Zulu...

 

[JungleBoy]

'cause I've found that most people like it when you can at least say a few words in their native tongue.

...and that makes perfect business sense...it's called understanding the customer

 

[Londo]

Ja, but where do you learn it? Xhosa, Zulu, whatever.
I have be trying to learn Xhosa for a few years now and I am struggling. I study my book, speak to Xhosa speakers and then head out and try my new phrase(s). Amazing thing is no matter how you stuff it up they still love you for trying.
Afrikaans is a breeze, in comparison.

 

[EtienneK]

Amazing thing is no matter how you stuff it up they still love you for trying.

And that is true for most countries. When I was in Brazil, even though I butchered the Portuguese language, the people still loved that I tried. It's a great conversation starter and people respect you for trying to learn their language.

 

[Turtle]

Well, I live in Gauteng. I would like to understand people when they are talking to each other in their native language.

Zulu would be the 'best' most general option especially if you want to be able to use the skill in most other parts of the country; Sotho/Tswana is also a good bet for Gauteng but less so nationally. I'd say learn 'Zulu and some basic everyday Sotho'. Zulu is spoken/understood in both the biggest numbers and most broadly, and if your Zulu is quite good you will sort of get by with Xhosa too.

There are reasons for learning an African language you may only understand once you've started doing so.

1. Zulu 23.8%
2. Xhosa 17.6%
3. Afrikaans 13.3%
4. Sephedi 9.4%
5. Sstswana 8.2%

(I hope those horrible spellings aren't from the quoted site) ... apart from the above, Zulu is also spoken far more broadly as a SECOND language than e.g. Xhosa or any of the Sotho languages. It's also one of the only local African languages that many people know about internationally, and has some of the better learning resources (though that doesn't say a huge amount).

 

[lilGr]

English! all the way unless you wanna barter with cattle

 

[EtienneK]

Afrikaans is an African language too.

I already can like to speak that one!

 

[Kloofvreter]

Or how about Engrish/Chinglish?

 

[dlk001]

Afrikaans is an African language too.

Yes. In mining, I find it helps as a consultant to speak Afrikaans.