Regarding language diversification, Africa is known for being the second continent in the world with the most languages, coming only after Asia. These languages are found in the 54 countries of the continent. While some of the languages in Africa fall under the same language family and are mutually intelligible, others are of different language classifications.
Generally, the languages of Africa break down into 3 large families (phyla) known as Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afroasiatic.
How Many Languages Are in Africa?
There are over 3000 languages in Africa, making it one-third of the world’s languages.
These languages fall under different language classifications, with Niger-Congo being the largest.
Among the many languages in Africa, Nigeria is the country with the most languages on the continent. Nigeria, a West African country has over 500 languages with its three major native languages – Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba being among the most popular languages in Africa.
In Africa, there are indigenous languages and foreign languages which have been adopted due to colonialism.
Many of these foreign languages such as English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French are used in some countries as Lingua Franca while in other countries, there is also the use of native languages in formal settings.
For instance, South Africa has 12 formal languages and Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. In both countries, numerous native languages are used as formal languages rather than other foreign languages.
The 5 Main Languages Spoken in Africa and the Countries They Are Found
1. Swahili (200 Million)
- Native Speakers: 18 million
- Foreign Speakers: 55 million
- Countries Found: Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, Mayotte, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Southern Somalia, Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar and Oman
- Language Family: Niger-Congo
Swahili, also known as Kiswahili is a popular African language and is the most spoken on the continent. It is found in East Africa with over 200 million speakers in estimation.
Swahili is an official language in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tanzania has the highest number of Swahili native speakers.
Regardless, the language has speakers in other African countries such as Comoros, Mayotte, Burundi, Somalia, Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar.
There are also many learners of the language across the world. For instance, Swahili is taught in over 50 universities in the US and several others in Europe and Asia.
2. Arabic (150 Million)
- Speakers: 150 million
- Countries Found: Algeria, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania (Zanzibar), and Tunisia
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic
According to some estimations about the most popular languages in Africa, Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa. However, the numbers based on estimation show that there are over 150 million native speakers in 13 countries.
Interestingly, Arabic is mutually unintelligible in some cases. This means that the variations of the language are different making some speakers unable to understand other speakers.
Arabic is mainly found in Northern Africa with Egypt, Algeria, Libya, and Sudan having some of the highest speakers. However, the language is also a minority language in northeastern Nigeria.
Apart from Arabic being a native language and having numerous native speakers in Africa, it is widely used in the entire continent for religious purposes in Islamic settings.
3. Hausa (88 million)
- Native Speakers: 54 million
- Foreign Speakers: 34 million
- Countries Found: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso
- Language Family: Afroasiatic
Hausa is the most spoken language in Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. However, it is the third most popular language in Africa, coming after Arabic and Swahili.
Hausa is a Chadic language and the speakers who are known as the Hausa people (Hausawa) migrated from Nubia to Niger. Currently, native speakers of the language are found in Northern Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Niger, and Chad among other West African languages.
The language has numerous dialects known as Dauranci in Daura, Kananci in Kano, Sakkwatanci in Sokoto, Kurhwayanci, and Gaananci in Ghana; and Togo to mention a few.
4. Amharic (60 Million)
- Native Speakers: 35 million
- Foreign Speakers: 25 million
- Countries Found: Ethiopia, Eritrea
- Language Family: Afroasiatic (Semitic Group)
Amharic is a Semitic language under the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is the second most spoken language in Ethiopia, the second most spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic, and the 4th most spoken language in Africa.
In Ethiopia, it is the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
5. Yoruba (47 Million)
- Native Speakers: 45 million
- Foreign Speakers: 2 million
- Countries Found: Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo)
The Yoruba language is native to Yoruba people who are mainly found in West Africa in southwestern and central Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It is also found in Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, mostly due to migration.
The language is the second most popular language and one of the three major languages in Nigeria.
The Yoruba language has different dialects such as Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest, and Southeast (in Nigeria); and Lucumí language and Oworo dialects among others.
Yoruba is used for religious purposes (Yoruba religion (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe)- Traditional African religions) and is very popular in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Other Languages in Africa Based on Their Popularity
6. Oromo (45.5 million)
- Speakers: 45.5 million
- Countries Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia
- Language Family: Afroasiatic
Oromo is a popular language found mostly in eastern Africa Kenya and Ethiopia. It is also spoken in some parts of Somalia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan.
In Africa, it is the fourth most spoken language. Regardless, it is the most popular language found in Ethiopia – where it is spoken the most in the world. In the country, it is used officially alongside Amharic.
The language was once banned in Ethiopia. This was under Haile Selassie’s regime in 1940 (until 1991) when it was stopped from being spoken, used administratively, in schools, and in many other ways.
Oromo has different varieties including:
- Western Oromo (Maca)
- Shewa (Tuulama, Arsi)
- Eastern Oromo (Harar)
- Southern Oromo (Ajuran, Borana, Gabra, Munyo, Orma, Sakuye, Waata)
7. Lingala (Ngala)- 40 Million
- Native Speakers: 20 million
- Foreign Speakers: 20 million
- Countries Found: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, Kenya, and South Sudan.
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
Lingala is a Bantu language that is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, Kenya, and South Sudan. It has at least 20 million native speakers and about 20 million second-language speakers.
According to Wikipedia, the number of speakers is approximated between 60 to 65 million.
The language has different regiolects and sociolects. The major varieties are northwestern Lingala, Kinshasa Lingala, and Brazzaville Lingala.
8. Fula – 39.7
- Native Speakers: 37 million
- Foreign Speakers: 2.7 million
- Countries Found: Guinea, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Sudan
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Senegambian branch)
Fula which is also known as Fulani, Fulfulde, Pulaar, or Pular is a Senegambian language of the Atlantic-Congo family of the Niger-Congo language family.
It is the 8th most popular language in Africa and an official language in Burkina Faso.
The language is a major language mainly found in West Africa, Central, and North Africa.
Fula has speakers in Fula speakers can be found in Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gambia, Chad, Sierra Leone, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Liberia and Gabon.
9. Igbo – 32.5 Million
- Native Speakers: 31 million
- Foreign Speakers: 1.5 million
- Countries Found: Nigeria
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Atlantic–Congo)
The Igbo language is an old language, one of the three major languages in Nigeria, and the 7th most popular language in Africa. The language is native to the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria.
In Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, the language is recognized as a minority language.
Despite being native to only a part of West Africa, Igbo people are considered the most traveled ethnic group in Nigeria and some of the most traveled ethnic groups in Africa. This means that their language can be found spoken beyond the shores of Nigeria or Africa.
10. Malagasy – 25 million
- Native Speakers: 25 million
- Countries Found: Madagascar and the Comoros
- Language Family: Austronesian (Barito language Branch)
Malagasy is one of the two official languages found in Madagascar. There is a minority of speakers of the language in Comoros. The language is spoken by at least 24 million people and it is considered as one fo the most popular languages in Africa.
The language is the westernmost Malayo-Polynesian language and it is closely related to the Ma’anyan language.
Malagacy has twelve dialects between two main dialect groups; Eastern and Western. Some of the dialects include Northern Betsimisaraka Malagasy, Antankarana Malagasy, Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy, Plateau (Merina) Malagasy, Tsimihety Malagas, and Tandroy-Mahafaly Malaga.
11. Somali – 24 Million
- Native Speakers: 24 million
- Countries Found: Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic branch)
Somali is the most spoken language in Somalia, with about 89% of the population speakers. It is also the official language of the country as well as one of the 5 official languages in Ethiopia.
Somali is also spoken in Djibouti and Kenya. In total, there are about 24 million speakers of the language, making it the ninth most popular language in Africa.
The language belongs to the Cushite branch in the Afroasiacc language family.
Somali, like many other languages in Africa, has numerous dialects such as Ashraf, Benadiri, Maay, and Northern Somali.
12. Wolof – 23.1 Million
- Native Speakers: 7.1 million
- Foreign Speakers: 16 million
- Countries Found: Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Senegambia Branch)
Wolof is one of the most widely spoken languages in Western Africa and one of the most popular in Africa. It is the most spoken language in Senegal with over 40% of the country’s population speaking it.
The language is also spoken in Gambia and also in Gambia.
Wolof is so popular that the English language borrowed words from the language. Some of the languages include banana and eat (as a root word).
The language has variations. For instance, the Senegalese Wolof is different from the Mauritanian and Gambian Wolof.
13. Xhosa (Xosa or isiXhosa)- 20 Million
- Native Speakers: 10 million
- Foreign Speakers: 10 million
- Countries Found: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
Xhosa is an Nguni language and one of the 12 official languages in South Africa. It is also an official language in Zimbabwe. Together with Zulu, Southern Ndebele, and Northern Ndebele, Xhosa is included in the Zunda languages.
The language is so popular that about 18% of South Africa’s population speaks it.
Also, due to its popularity, the language is the official language of Wakanda, a Hollywood film.
14. Afrikaans – 17.5 Million
- Native Speakers: 7.2 million
- Foreign Speakers: 10.3 million
- Countries Found: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Indo-European (Germanic branch)
Afrikaans is a language that was developed in the 18th century. It started as a vernacular until it later became a language that is native to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The language is believed to be one of the sexiest languages and accents in South Africa.
15. Berber- 16 Million
- Speakers: 16 Million
- Countries Found: Morocco, Algeria
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic (Semitic Group)
Berber is an ethnic group which is also known as Amazigh. The language has some similarities with some Semitic languages such as Arabic and Hebrew.
The language is mainly native to North Africa, in countries such as Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. It is also spoken in some West African countries such as Mali and Niger.
Among the countries where Berber is spoken, Morocco has the most native speakers, claiming between 15 to 20 million speakers.
16. Chewa (Nyanja) 14 million
- Native Speakers: 14 million
- Countries Found: Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
Chewa is spoken by at least 14 million native speakers and it is also spoken as a second language.
The language is one of the most famous languages found in Africa and the most widely known in Malawi. It is also native to Zambia and Mozambique.
17. Sepedi (Sesotho sa Lebowa; Northern Sotho) – 13.8 Million
- Native Speakers: 4.7 million
- Foreign Speakers: 9.1 million
- Countries Found: South Africa
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
Sepedi is the fifth most-spoken language in South Africa and one of the most popular in Africa. The Bantu language shares similarities with Setswana.
Sepedi has numerous dialects such as Bapedi, Phokwane, Bakone, Chuene, and Batlokwa.
18. Sesotho (Southern Sotho)- 13.5 Million
- Native Speakers: 5.6 million
- Foreign Speakers: 7.9 million
- Countries Found: Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Southern Bantu)
Sesotho is a Bantu language which is also one of the twelve official languages in South Africa, one of the two official languages of Lesotho, and one of the sixteen official languages of Zimbabwe.
The language is closely related to other Bantu languages such as Venda, Tsonga, Tonga, and Lozi.
19. Kirundi (Rundi)- 13 million
- Native Speakers: 13 million
- Countries Found: Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Kenya
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
Kirundi is one of the official languages in Burundi. It is also a widely spoken language in other parts of Africa.
The language is mutually intelligible with Kinyarwanda, another popular language in Africa.
20. Shona – 12 Million
- Native Speakers: 6.5 million
- Foreign Speakers: 5.50 million
- Countries Found: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
21. Akan – 11,000,000
- Native Speakers: 8.9
- Foreign Speakers: 2: 1
- Countries Found: Ghana
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Kwa branch)
Akan is one of Africa’s most popular languages. It is also the popular native language in Ghana where about 44% of the population are native speakers but about 80% of the country’s population can speak the language.
Akan language which is the .. most popular language in Africa has different dialects such as Bono (Twi), Asante, Akuapem, Bono (collectively known as Twi), and Fante.
22. Zulu – 10,400,000
- Native Speakers: 13 million
- Foreign Speakers: 16 million
- Countries Found: South Africa, Lesotho
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
Zulu which is also known as isiZulu is an African language and one the 12 official languages in South Africa. The language is the.. most popular language in Africa, the second most spoken Bantu language after Swahili, and the most spoken native language in South Africa.
The language is closely related to the Northern Ndebele in Zimbabwe.
Zulu is one of the most popular ethnic groups in Africa. This is mainly because of Shaka Zulu, one of Africa’s most historic warriors.
The language has four dialects known as central KwaZulu-Natal Zulu, northern Transvaal Zulu, eastern coastal Qwabe, and western coastal Cele.
23. Kinyarwanda – 9,800,000
- Native Speakers: 24 million
- Countries Found: Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic branch)
Kinyarwanda is one of the main languages spoken in Rwanda alongside English and French. It is spoken by about 93% of the total population of Rwanda.
Also, the language is spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Kinyarwanda which is also known as Ikinyarwanda is a Bantu language. This means that it falls under the same language family as other African languages such as Zulu, Xhosa, Shona, and Kirundi,
There are different dialects of Kinyarwanda known as Bufumbwa, Ikinyabwishya, Igikiga, Ikinyamurenge, Ikirera, Urufumbira, and Urutwatwa.
Other Popular Languages in Africa
24. Tswana (Setswana; Sechuana)- 12.9 Million
- Native Speakers: 12.9 Million
- Countries Found: Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
25. Kongo – 11.5 Million
- Native Speakers: 6.5 million
- Foreign Speakers: 5 million
- Countries Found: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
26. Luganda (Ganda) – 11 Million
- Native Speakers: 5.6 million
- Foreign Speakers: 5.4 million
- Countries Found: Uganda
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
27. Tigrinya (Tigrigna)- 9.7 million
- Native Speakers: 9.7 million
- Countries Found: Eritrea, Ethiopia
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic (Semitic)
28. Gikuyu (Kikuyu) – 8.1 Million
- Native Speakers: 8.1 Million
- Countries Found: Kenya
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
29. Tsonga (Xitsonga)- 7.1 Million
- Native Speakers: 3.7 million
- Foreign Speakers: 3.4 million
- Countries Found: Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
30. Umbundu (South Mbundu)- 7 Million
- Native Speakers: 7,000,000
- Countries Found: Angola
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
31. Luhya – 6,800,000
- Native Speakers: 3.3 million
- Countries Found: Kenya
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
32. Kalenjin (Elgeyo language)- 6.6 Million
- Native Speakers: 6,600,000
- Countries Found: Kenya and Uganda
- Language Family: Nilo-Saharan (Nilotic)
33. Mossi (Mooré or More )- 6.5 million
- Native Speakers: 6.5 million
- Countries Found: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Mali, Togo and Senegal
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language)
34. Tshiluba (Luba-Kasai, Cilubà or Tshilubà, Luba-Lulua)- 6,300,000
- Native Speakers: 6.4 Million
- Countries Found: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu Language
35. Kituba – 5,400,000
- Native Speakers: 5.4 million
- Countries Found: the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Language Family: Kongo-based Creole
36. Luo – 5,000,000
- Native Speakers: 5 million
- Countries Found: Kenya and Tanzania
- Language Family: Nilo-Saharan ( Nilotic language)
37. Swazi (siSwati)- 4.7 Million
- Native Speakers: 2.3 million
- Foreign Speakers: 2.4 million
- Countries Found: Eswatini, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
38. Tshivenda (Venḓa) – 3 Million
- Native Speakers: 1.3 million
- Foreign Speakers: 1.7 million
- Countries Found: South Africa Zimbabwe, and Mozambique
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
39. Sena – 2.8 Million
- Native Speakers: 2.8 million
- Countries Found: Mozambique, Malawi
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
40. Northern Ndebele (isiNdebele saseNyakatho, Zimbabwean Ndebele or North Ndebele) – 2,600,000
- Native Speakers: 2.6 million
- Countries Found: Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
41. Afar ( ’Afar Af, Afaraf, Qafar af) – 2,500,000
- Native Speakers: 2.6 million
- Countries Found: Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic branch)
42. Ndau (chiNdau, Chindau, Ndzawu, Njao, Southeast Shona, Chidanda)- 2,400,000
- Native Speakers: 2.4 million
- Countries Found: Mozambique, Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
43. Fon – 2,300,000
- Native Speakers: 2.3 million
- Countries Found: Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Gabon
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
44. Kimbundu (Mbundu)- 1,700,000
- Native Speakers: 1.7 million
- Countries Found: Angola
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
45. Tonga (Zambezi)- 1,500,000
- Native Speakers: 1.5 million
- Countries Found: Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Language Family: Niger-Congo (Bantu)
