South Africa Culture & Language

South Africa calls itself the rainbow nation, a phrase from Desmond Tutu, and the diversity is constitutional as much as cultural: twelve official languages, more than any other country, with isiZulu and isiXhosa the most widely spoken at home and English dominant in business.

The braai is the closest thing to a universal social form — an open fire, meat, and several hours. It crosses the lines that most things here do not, and an invitation to one is a genuine welcome.

Music carries the history: mbaqanga, Cape jazz, kwaito and the amapiano that now exports globally.

Sport matters disproportionately. The 1995 Rugby World Cup is the defining image of the early transition, and rugby, football and cricket still map onto the country's divisions in ways South Africans discuss openly.

South Africa has twelve official languages: isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, English, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele and South African Sign Language.

English is universally understood in cities and tourism and is the language of business, though it is the first language of under 10% of the population.

Useful: sawubona (isiZulu hello), molo (isiXhosa hello), dankie (Afrikaans thank you). Any attempt is warmly received.

Local usage worth knowing: robot means traffic light, bakkie a pickup, now-now means shortly and just now means later — genuinely the reverse of what a visitor assumes. Shame expresses sympathy or affection, not blame.