Languages of Africa
Africa is one of the most linguistically diverse continents, with over 2,000 languages spoken across 54 countries. From business expansion to government communication, accurate translations in Swahili, Arabic, Hausa, Zulu, Xhosa, and other African languages are essential for effective engagement.
At SLS, we specialize in high-quality translation and localization services, helping businesses, organizations, and individuals communicate clearly and confidently across Africa’s diverse linguistic landscape.
Why Choose SLS for African Language Translations?
🌍 Expertise in 50+ African Languages
Our native-speaking translators ensure accurate, culturally relevant translations for businesses and organizations across Africa.
✅ Industry-Specific Accuracy
We specialize in finance, healthcare, IT, legal, and marketing translations, ensuring clarity and precision.
🔍 100% Accuracy & Quality Control
Every translation undergoes rigorous proofreading and cultural adaptation to maintain linguistic integrity.
⏳ Fast & Reliable Service
Need urgent translations? Our express services deliver high-quality translations with quick turnaround times.
🔒 Secure & Confidential Document Handling
We adhere to strict confidentiality protocols to protect sensitive client data.
Top 10 Most Spoken Languages in Africa
With thousands of languages spoken across the continent, here are the 10 most widely spoken African languages:
Widely Spoken African Languages
✔️ Swahili Translation Services – Spoken in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and more
✔️ Arabic Translation Services – Official language in North Africa and the Middle East
✔️ Hausa Translation Services – Major language in Nigeria, Niger, and Ghana
✔️ Yoruba Translation Services – Spoken by millions in Nigeria and Benin
✔️ Igbo Translation Services – One of Nigeria’s principal languages
🔗 Explore Swahili & African Language Services
Indigenous & Regional African Languages
✔️ Zulu Translation Services – Widely spoken in South Africa
✔️ Xhosa Translation Services – One of South Africa’s 11 official languages
✔️ Amharic Translation Services – Ethiopia’s official language
✔️ Somali Translation Services – Widely spoken in the Horn of Africa
✔️ Shona Translation Services – The main language of Zimbabwe
🔗 Learn More About Indigenous & Regional African Languages
Key Language Translation Services for Africa
1️⃣ Business & Corporate Translation
✔️ Contracts, financial reports, and presentations
✔️ Marketing materials tailored for African audiences
✔️ Global expansion support
🔗 Explore Business Translation Services
2️⃣ Legal & Government Translations
✔️ Certified translations for government, immigration, and legal processes
✔️ Court-approved translations for official documents
✔️ Legal compliance and regulatory accuracy
🔗 Check Our Legal Translation Services
3️⃣ Healthcare & Medical Translations
✔️ Patient records, medical reports, and pharmaceutical documentation
✔️ Multilingual healthcare communication solutions
✔️ HIPAA-compliant translations for African medical services
🔗 Learn More About Medical Translation Services
4️⃣ Website & Software Localization
✔️ Translation of websites, mobile apps, and software interfaces
✔️ SEO-optimized content for African digital markets
✔️ User-friendly multilingual experiences
🔗 View Website Localization Services
5️⃣ Technical & Engineering Translation
✔️ User manuals, product specifications, and technical documents
✔️ Industry-specific terminology for accuracy
✔️ Support for African infrastructure projects
🔗 Explore Technical Translation Services
Why Multilingual Translation is Essential for Africa
📢 Expand Business Across Africa – Engage with diverse linguistic communities and access new markets.
🌎 Ensure Clear Communication & Inclusivity – Provide multilingual content for government, healthcare, and education.
🔍 Comply with Legal & Regulatory Requirements – Certified translations ensure compliance with local and international regulations.
📖 Boost SEO & Online Presence – Multilingual websites rank higher on African search engines and online platforms.
🚀 Strengthen Cultural & Community Engagement – Accurately translated content fosters trust and customer loyalty.
Investing in professional translation services is essential for businesses, governments, healthcare providers, and educators looking to succeed in Africa’s diverse markets.
Future Trends in African Language Translation
🚀 AI-Powered Translation with Human Proofreading – AI enhances speed, while human experts ensure accuracy.
🖥️ Growth in Indigenous Language Translation – Governments and organizations focus on preserving African linguistic heritage.
📢 Localization for African E-Commerce & Digital Marketing – Companies adapt content for multilingual African audiences.
At SLS, we combine technology with expert human translation to provide precise, culturally relevant communication.
Get Professional African Language Translation Services Today
Whether you need business translations, legal documents, medical reports, or website localization, SLS delivers expert translations for African markets.
🔹 Reach Africa’s multilingual communities with precision!
🔹 Get a FREE Quote for Expert Translation Services Now!
📍 About SLS
📍 View All Language Services
✅ Industry References & Standards:
🔗 African Academy of Languages (ACALAN)
🔗 Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB)
🔗 ISO 17100:2015 Translation Standards
Official and Spoken Languages of African Countries
List of official, national and spoken languages of Africa.
Africa is a continent with a very high linguistic diversity, there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languages.
Of these languages four main groupings can be distinguished:
Afro-Asiatic
(approximately 200 languages) Covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa, Central Sahara et the top Nile)
Nilo-Saharian
Gathering approximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scattered in Central and Eastern Africa.
Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)
Covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers. The Bantu languages of Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch.
Khoisan
Gathering about thirty languages in Western part of Southern Africa.
All African languages are considered official languages of the African Union
| African Countries | ||
| Country | Official & National Languages | Other spoken Languages |
| Algeria | Arabic, Berber languages, four dialects (by constitutional amendment) | French |
| Angola | Portuguese | Narrow Bantu like Umbundu and other African languages. |
| Benin | French | Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
| Botswana | Setswana (national language with minor differences in dialects), English is the official business Language and it is widely spoken in urban areas | |
| Burkina Faso | French | Native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population |
| Burundi | Kirundi, French | Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) |
| Cameroon | English, French | 24 major African language groups |
| Cape Verde | Portuguese | Kabuverdianu (Crioulo) (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) |
| Central African Republic | Sangho (lingua franca and national language) |
Banda, Gbaya and other tribal languages |
| Chad | French, Arabic | Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects |
| Comoros | Arabic, French | Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | French | Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba |
| Congo, Republic of the | French | Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) |
| Côte d’Ivoire | French | 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken |
| Djibouti | French, Arabic | Somali, Afar |
| Egypt | Arabic | English and French widely understood by educated classes |
| Equatorial Guinea | Spanish, French | Pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo |
| Eritrea | Tigrinya (Tigrigna), Arabic, English |
Tigré (second major language), Afar, Bedawi, Kunama, other Cushitic languages |
| Ethiopia | Amharic | Tigrinya, Oromo, Gurage, Somali, Arabic, 80 other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools) |
| Gabon | French | Bantu languages like Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
| Gambia, The | English | Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars |
| Ghana | English | African languages (including Akan, Adangme, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga) |
| Guinea | French (spoken by 15-20%) | Eight national languages, Soussou (Susu, in coastal Guinea), Peulh (Fulani, in Northrn Guinea), Maninka (Upper Guinea), Kissi (Kissidougou Region), Toma and Guerze (Kpelle) in rain forest Guinea; plus various ethnic groups with their own language |
| Guinea-Bissau | Portuguese | Crioulo (a mixture of Portuguese and African), other African languages |
| Kenya | English, Kiswahili | Numerous indigenous languages |
| Lesotho | Sesotho (southern Sotho), English |
Zulu, Xhosa |
| Liberia | English 20% | Some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence |
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | Arabic | Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities |
| Madagascar | French, Malagasy | |
| Malawi | English, Nyanja (Chichewa, Chewa) | Lomwe, Tumbuka, Yao, other languages important regionally |
| Mali | French | Bambara (Bamanakan), Arabic and numerous dialects of Dogoso, Fulfulde, Koyracini, Senoufou, and Mandinka/Malinké (Maninkakan), Tamasheq are also widely spoken |
| Mauritania | Arabic | Hassaniya Arabic, Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof, French |
| Mauritius | English, French | Creole, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri |
| Morocco | Arabic | Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy |
| Mozambique | Portuguese (spoken by 27% of population as a second language) | Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, numerous other indigenous languages |
| Namibia | English 7% | Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama. |
| Niger | French | Hausa, Djerma |
| Nigeria | English | Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, Ijaw, Ibibio and about 250 other indigenous languages spoken by the different ethnic groups. |
| Réunion | French | Creole widely used |
| Rwanda | Rwanda (Kinyarwanda, Bantu vernacular) French, English | Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers. |
| Saint Helena | English | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Portuguese | |
| Senegal | French | Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka |
| Seychelles | English, French | Creole |
| Sierra Leone | English (regular use limited to literate minority) | Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%) |
| Somalia | Somali | Arabic, Italian, English |
| South Africa | 11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, Pedi, Sesotho (Sotho), siSwati (Swazi), Xitsonga (Tsonga), Tswana, Tshivenda (Venda), isiXhosa, isiZulu | |
| Sudan | Arabic | Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English. note: program of “Arabization” in process |
| Swaziland | English (government business conducted in English), siSwati | |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | Kiswahili (Swahili), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education) | Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), Gogo, Haya, Makonde, Nyakyusa, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, Tumbuka, many other local languages. |
| Togo | French (the language of commerce) | Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north) |
| Tunisia | Arabic (and the languages of commerce) | French (commerce) |
| Uganda | English (used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts) | Ganda (Luganda; most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Acoli, Swahili, Arabic |
| Western Sahara | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | |
| Zambia | English | Major vernaculars: Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages. |
| Zimbabwe | English | Chishona (Shona), Sindebele (Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects like: Sotho and Nambya, Shangani, Venda, Chewa, Nyanja, and Tonga. |