Of the 12,2 million South African school pupils, just 850,000 (7%) speak English at home. The language is also rich in idioms. With the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, English and Dutch were technically bestowed equal status, with Afrikaans added as a part of Dutch in 1925, but in practice English retained top billing until Afrikaners took power in 1948. Most of the coloured population lives in the Northern and Western Cape provinces, whilst the majority of the Indian population lives in KwaZulu-Natal. 3. As a whole, the South Africa Survey suggests, “only between a quarter and a third of pupils who speak an African language at home learn in that language”. “In all post-colonial societies,” wrote Alexander, “knowledge of the conquerors’ language [becomes] a vital component of the ‘cultural capital’ of the neo-colonial elite. These are English (9.6%), Afrikaans (13.5%), Ndebele (2.1%), Sepedi (9.1%), Xhosa (16%), Venda (2.4%), Tswana (8%), Southern Sotho (7.6%), Zulu 22.7%), Swazi or SiSwati (2.5%) and Tsonga (4.5%). Welcome to the South African Landscapers Institute. For illustration of just how heated these issues can become, South Africans have never had to look further than 16 June 1976, when the spark that lit the tinder box that was the Soweto Riots was the decision taken by the National Party government that Afrikaans should be a compulsory medium of instruction in secondary schools within the Department of Basic Education. Through the works of established academics and writers we delve into history, customs and the blending of different ways of life in a cultural landscape that is uniquely South African. 10 million people speak the language and most of them live in South Africa. Throughout the development from itinerant teachers to schools and school systems, the family foundation of Christian ⦠Its official currency is South African ⦠South Africaâs geography and landscape. About the Afrikaans Language. By 2011, English was beating out both Sepedi and Setswana as the fourth most popular home language. Like much of the African continent south of the Sahara, South Africa's landscape is dominated by a high Central Plateau surrounded by coastal lowlands. There are eleven official languages in South Africa. It is a Bantu language closely related to Zulu, Swazi, and Ndebele. 5. Of course, there is little neutral about it: English is the language of global corporatism, which is exactly why there are strong practical reasons for South Africans to learn the language well – however much you might decry its use as the vehicle of imperialism, globalisation and a host of other ills. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, of which Xhosa is one of the most widely spoken. It has an area of 1,219,090 square km. Find and book hotels and accommodation in South Africa. But the SAIRR’s 2012 South Africa Survey, drawing on figures from the Department of Basic Education, found that 7,6 million of them (around 64%) wish to be taught in English. Parliamentary proceedings are carried out overwhelmingly in English; Hansard, the record of what is said in Parliament, is published in English; and all addresses of national importance – like the state of the nation address, or the annual budget speech – are given in English. Afrikaans has a fascinating history of its own, and a heritage and culture that are deeply entwined in its character. Some of the major landforms in Africa include the Kaapvaal craton and Cape Floral in South Africa, Atlas Mountains, Ethiopian Highlands, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Sahara Desert, Congo River Basin, Nile River System and the Great Rift Valley. Possibly the more interesting finding, however, is the degree to which English is dominating the South African education system. Only one third of the 3.1 million pupils who speak Zulu at home choose to receive teaching in their home language. All Rights Reserved. South Africa has a population of approximately 55 million people comprising of diverse culture, religion, origin, and languages. The idea that Afrikaans and English are no longer the sole province of white South Africans may makes for a sexy sound bite, but the truth is that this doesn’t represent a major shift in South African language use over the last decade, particularly when it comes to Afrikaans. JOHANNESBURG - The Basic Education Department on Saturday said it would challenge some aspects of the judgment which overturned its decision for a ⦠The black population of South Africa is divided into four major ethnic groups; namely Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi), Sotho, Shangaan-Tsonga and Venda. Population: 58.5 million people live in South Africa (2019); Capital city: Pretoria has 3 million inhabitants. Since approximately 91% of South Africaâs landscape is drylands, it makes it susceptible to desertification. There are many great benefits to being a Maverick Insider. In Language in South Africa: The Role of Language in National Transformation (2002), University of Pretoria linguist Victor Webb makes the point that such languages can become substantial barriers to much of the population accessing their national rights and privileges, and also to accessing the country’s formal economy. S/he is elected by the National Assembly from its own members. Within South Africa, the quality of education varies widely. The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. At least thirty-five languages indigenous to South Africa are spoken in the Republic, ten of which are official languages of South Africa: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Vená¸a, Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans.The eleventh official language is English, which is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though all official languages ⦠The Afrikaans language is one of South Africaâs official languages and a large proportion of the local population uses it as their first or second language. “English is not a solution to the unravelling of ‘unequal power’ relations in the world but an integral part of the problem,” writes linguist Richard Alexander; but he notes, too, that when people want to hold a protest banner up to an international TV camera, the writing in that banner will often be in English. SAIRR researcher Thuthukani Ndebele said that the overwhelming dominance of English in the South African public school system is unsurprising, “reflecting a global trend for the preference of the language”. The Big Hole, Kimberley Kimberley was put on the mining map when it became clear, it the late 1860s, that the area is rich in diamonds. Subscribe to our SALI Newsletter for all the latest news. To the east, south and west of the plateau lands is a mountainous region called the Great ⦠Approximately 16 percent of South Africas population, or 8.3 million people, cite Xhosa as being their home language. Said to be closely related to two other languages in the Sotho language group ... Southern Sesotho is a Bantu language that originates from the Bantu-Nguni era. Also see South Africanisms and useful Xhosa phrases and Zulu phrases. The Afrikaans language is one of South Africas official languages and a large proportion of the local population uses it as their first or second language. The reverse is evident for African languages. Experience South Africaâs rich history, from its turbulent past to its unique architecture and languages, by visiting these historical monuments. What happens in South African ⦠Most of South Africa's landscape is made up of high, flat areas called plateaus. Africans or South Africans and Bantu-speaking people form the major part of the population (approximately 35 million). The situation was flipped when English replaced Dutch as the language of rule in the Cape Colony from 1806 onwards. into Angola in the west, and the Muchinga Escarpment in Zambia ⦠It ranked the country first for strength of auditing and reporting standards as well as financing through local equity market. India and China have recorded a similar trend, with newspapers targeted at specific local audiences powering through the readership ranks. Of course, many other languages from all over the world are spoken here too; including Portuguese, Greek, Italian, French, Chinese, and so on. The traditional newspaper market is relatively static, but there has been phenomenal growth in the tabloid market. We make it easy for you to plan your trip online. Africa is the second largest continent, in terms of size and ⦠However, smatterings of it can even be heard as far afield as Botswana. But language has always been a thorny issue in a South African context, and pragmatism of this kind has often not been considered sufficient to swing the debate. South Africa is a diverse nation with a population of over 55 million comprising of people different languages, origins, cultures, and religious practices. Britain won the war and in 1910 it established the Union of South Africa. South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is the southernmost country in Africa. Of the 51.7 million South Africans, over 41 million are black, 4.5 million are white, 4.6 million are coloured and about 1.3 million Indian or Asian. In The News. The Afrikaner population is especially concentrated in the Gauteng and Free State provinces and the English population in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In 1995 the Ghanaian sociologist Kwesi Prah wrote: “One cannot underemphasise the fact that unless the generation of knowledge, discourse and knowledge transfer is effected in the language of the masses, the conditions of the masses cannot be transformed.” DM, Photo: South Africa fans react after their team lost to Uruguay following their 2010 World Cup Group A soccer match at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria June 16, 2010. SouthAfrica.co.za tells the stories of these cultures. While most pupils begin their education at the foundation phase in an African language, the switch to either English or Afrikaans tends to happen as early as Grade 4. Click here to see other benefits and to sign-up to our reader community supporting quality, independent journalism. Tsonga is a part of Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo languages ... Venda is also known as Luvenda or Tshivenda, and originated from the Bantu language. The Setswana language is one of 11 official languages spoken in South Africa, and one of nine indigenous languages chosen for this title in the post-apartheid constitution. One of the perennial issues that arises when discussing South African education is our complex language policy. View Images Boulders Beach in Cape Town is home to a protected colony of African ⦠3 ⢠LANGUAGE The Xhosa language is properly referred to as isiXhosa . There are numerous subgroups within these, of which the Zulu and Xhosa (two subgroups of the Nguni group) are the largest. Several authors characterise the South African school system as effectively consisting of two differently functioning sub-systems (Fleisch, 2008, Van der Berg, 2008, Taylor and Yu, 2009). The coloured population have a mixed lineage, which often comprises the indigenous Khoisan genes combined with African slaves that were brought here from all over the continent, and white settlers. In other words, future South Africans are likely to see English as the language of business, science, technology, politics and so on, whereas indigenous African languages may be increasingly relegated to the domestic sphere. Pretoria's nickname is "The Jacaranda City" due to the many jacaranda trees. For the first one-and-a-half centuries of the Dutch occupation of the Cape, it was Dutch. SA-Venues.com © 1999-2020. And, we'll send you a R200 voucher to use on your next booking. There has been significant growth in magazines published by the four major media h⦠South Africa is the southernmost country on the African continent.It has a long history of conflict and human rights issues, but it has always been one of the most economically prosperous nations in southern Africa due to its coastal location and the presence of gold, diamonds, and natural resources. May 08, 2020 ... Water wise concepts crucial in landscape design Stay Informed. Afrikaans has a fascinating history of its own, and a heritage and ... Ndebele Language: A large proportion of South African folk are able to speak Ndebele. The late Neville Alexander wrote that education in indigenous languages “came to be equated in the minds of most black people with inferiority and racial ghettoization”. This will presumably allow the English-learning pupils of today to take their place as the “global citizens” of tomorrow, but not everyone will be convinced it’s a great idea. This echoes the situation all over post-colonial Africa, where the official language of communication has generally been the language of the former colonial power (mainly English, French of Portuguese), even though knowledge of these languages may be minimal. Subscribe for the latest special offers and travel inspiration. The Sepedi language is spoken most commonly in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Limpopo provinces. Zulu is the home language of about 22.7% of South Africans; while as many as half of ... SA-Venues.com® has been assisting travellers with their South Africa travel plans since 1999, and is the largest, independent online travel guide for South Africa available in both English and German. It was and remains their knowledge of English and/or French that sets them apart from the vast majority of their African compatriots and which keeps them and their offspring in the privileged middle and upper classes.”. South Africa is home to a wide array of vibrant, rich cultures, each with their own deep history. Most of South Africaâs landscape is made up of high, flat areas called plateaus. It is also known as Suto, Souto, Sisutho, and Suthu. respect for all languages used in the country, including South African Sign Language and the languages referred to in the South African Constitution. As is evident in the history of South Africa, English can be used both to oppress and liberate. Intersectional issues of gender, ethnicity, and race further complicate the matter of identity and make it highly inadvisable to categorise the different people contained within South Africaâs borders. What the dominance of English in the education system today suggests is more that a functional division of languages is likely to be increasingly entrenched. The World Bank projects 2019 growth at 1.3%, accelerating further to 1.7% in 2020. Subscribe. South Africa has one of the world's younger populations by age, according to U.S. government estimates. He saw the end result as both important and simple: “Being multilingual should be a defining characteristic of being South African.”. Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster. A South African family moved from Soweto to the Orange Farm shantytown in South Africa, December 1989. South African Languages A Quick Guide (including how to say hello), How to Gumboot Dance like a South African, Who Visits South Africa, And Why? Teen Spirit was an actual deodorant worn by one of Kurt Cobain's former girlfriends. The dialects originate from Suto, Pedi amd Tswana, but these are all considered to be separate ... Swati, Sewati, Swazi or siSwati are all names for the same language, which is part of the Nguni group. English is often presented as a kind of equaliser – a neutral global lingua franca which just happens to be the most practical way for people to communicate. The South African economy grew by 1.3% in 2017 and 0.8% in 2018. Lily Franey/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images But when South African president P.W. The results of Census 2001 found that 13,3% of South Africans spoke Afrikaans at home, and by the time Census 2011 rolled around, this figure had risen only fractionally, to 13,5%. Robben Island, located 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from ⦠In South Africa, the city is referred to as 'Tshwane' as the municipality changed its name in 2007. Defining Africa's northern bulge, the Sahara makes up 25 percent of the ⦠Zulu phrases and simple: “ being multilingual should be general practice, he,... See South Africanisms and useful Xhosa phrases and Zulu phrases the coloured population lives the..., from its own, and tree-dotted plains, called bushveld City '' due the! 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