What Language is Spoken in Africa?

Africa can be considered the most linguistically diverse continent in the world, with approximately 2,000 different languages. Each one of them, with their unique characteristics and special features, conveys the cultural values and unique identity of each people. In other words, the languages of Africa are as abundant and varied as the people who live there.

However, despite the incredible linguistic diversity of the continent, it’s possible to identify languages that prevail over the rest. Swahili, Haura, Yoruba, and Arabic have millions of speakers. Other languages spoken on the continent include Laal, Shabo, and Dahalo. In this article, we will explain which languages are spoken most in Africa and what types of language families are spoken on the continent. 

Language families in Africa

The large number of languages spoken in Africa can be classified into six different families, although this classification may vary.

Niger-Congo languages

This is the group with the largest number of languages: more than 1350. They are found mainly in the western, central, and southeastern regions of the continent, and one of the notable features they have in common is the extensive system of nominal classes, which can be considered a form of grammatical gender. 

One of the best-known of the Niger-Congo languages is Swahili, whose various dialects are spoken by about 16 million people. It is widely used and taught in places such as Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya, among others. Other languages in this family include Yoruba, Igbo, Lingala, Shona, Zulu, and many others. 

Afroasiatic languages

Comprising about 240 languages spoken in countries of North Africa, East Africa, and Southwest Asia. The most widely spoken language in this family is Arabic, with more than 200 million speakers (mainly in Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Sudan). Other languages included in this family are Somali, Berber, Hausa, and Oromo. 

Nilo-Saharan languages 

Mainly spoken in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, this family consists of more than 100 languages spoken by 30 million people. Among them are Lugbara, Zarma, Dholuo, Kanuri-Kanembu, Songhay, Maa, Fur, Ngambay, and Teso. 

Khoisan languages 

This family comprises between 40 and 70 languages spoken mainly in southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Angola). These languages share phonological features, especially click consonants, a feature that is commonly associated with African languages. This type of phoneme has also influenced other languages of different families, such as some Bantu languages. Representative examples of Khoisan languages are Hadza, Naro, Khoekhoe, and San. 

Indo-European languages

Languages inherited from colonial times such as English, Portuguese, and French are also spoken in Africa. However, the most common of these inherited languages is French. It’s estimated that there are approximately 300 million speakers of French in Africa, both as a mother tongue and as a second language. 

Austronesian languages

Austronesian languages are mainly distributed in the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, but there are also some Austronesian languages in Madagascar, which is located on the southeast coast of Africa. One example that can be found in this language family is Malagasy, the main language of Madagascar. This language is the result of the migration of people from Southeast Asia more than a millennium ago and today it’s spoken by about 20 million people. 

Africa, a continent full of linguistic possibilities

As has been explained, the African continent contains a very extensive and unique amalgam of languages. It cannot be said that there is one main language in Africa, although some of the most commonly used languages can be distinguished. These are Arabic, Swahili, Hausa, and Yoruba.

Understanding the linguistic diversity features of this continent is crucial when translating any document. If this is your situation and you need someone to translate important information into Swahili, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa, we recommend services from IPT Translations. With them, you’ll be able to obtain high-quality translations at reasonable prices with verified and professional translators.