Africa is rich in many ways, one of which is its diverse languages. Interestingly, records (ISO 639-3) show 2169 different tongues across the continent. The most widely spoken language in Africa stands out because a vast number of people understand it.
What’s striking is the unique beauty of each community’s dialect. Sometimes, speech sounds like singing, and that’s often because of the way vowels are used. Many popular African languages exist, but just a few are well-known and officially spoken.
1. English
Number of speakers: More than 237 million
English is not native to any savanna culture. But, it is the most widely spoken language in Africa, with 237 million people who can communicate in it. This score shows that one-sixth of the continent’s population can interact and shop in English. It is also officially spoken in 24 countries, including Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. Nigeria and Ethiopia dominate the list by digits, with close to half of the Nigerian people able to speak English. Those in cities have high proficiency, which means good news for Western tourists and expats.
Although English is a second language for most, its widespread use today is primarily due to its colonial history.
2. Arabic
Number of speakers: Over 213 million,
Four hundred twenty-two million (422) people speak Arabic globally, with half of them residing in Africa. Arabic is recognised in 17 African nations and is official in 13. In places with little presence, it is borrowed or learned to practice Islamic culture.
The native tongue is strong in North Africa, where Middle Eastern practices are observed. There are several variants, but the North African, Egyptian, and Sudanese dialects are the most common. The Egyptian class is called cute because it utilises terms that can mean both everything and nothing. Arabic comes second when asked what is the most common language spoken in Africa.
3. Swahili (Kiswahili)
Number of speakers: Up to 200 million
More than 10% of the African population speaks Swahili in three primary dialects. It is the most widely spoken language in Africa that is indigenous to the Eastern province. Swahili has also expanded to become an accessible second language for 82 million people across East and Central Africa. Words like “Jambo” (Hello) and “Karibu” (Welcome) are often the first greetings tourists encounter when visiting the region. “Asante” (Thank you) and “Habari gani?” (How are you?) reflects both politeness and connection in everyday conversations. The word “Rafiki,” meaning “friend,” gained global attention through pop culture but holds deep communal meaning in Swahili-speaking societies. These phrases demonstrate how language serves not only as a tool for communication but also as a vehicle for cultural identity and warmth.
Many of Swahili’s loan words are Arabic, with fewer from Hindi, and English appearing only after the pre-independence era. Swahili holds official status and is used in Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
4. French
Number of speakers: Over 167 million
Like English, French did not originate in Africa. It is spoken as a second tongue and has been officially recognised in 29 countries. French is the primary mode of communication, and for nearly everything else in countries such as Angola, Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tanzania. It is interesting to know that Africa now has double the number of French speakers as Europe.
The mother dialect influences French accents in West and Central Africa, which implies that Parisians might need subtitles.
5. Hausa
Number of speakers: Over 98 million
People in northern Nigeria generally speak the Hausa language. However, it is not exclusive to that area. It is spoken by 53% of the Nigeriens (Niger) and some cities of West African countries. Hausa is one of Nigeria’s three primary languages, and the states where it is spoken are referred to as Hausa land. Although Nigeria has the highest percentage of native Hausa speakers, it is not an official language in Niger. By number, Hausa is the fifth most widely spoken language in Africa.
6. Yoruba
Number of speakers: Over 50 million
Alongside Hausa, Yoruba is the first language in southwestern Nigeria. It is spoken further in Togo and Benin, although a scattered presence is in Seira Lonne and Côte d’Ivoire. Yoruba has seven central dialects that may be completely strange from one another. Words are pronounced with distinct meanings by using diacritical marks in their letters. Yoruba is widely used as a lingua franca for business and non-official interaction.
7. Oromo
Number of speakers: Over 41 million
Oromo is the second most dominant indigenous language in Ethiopia and the seventh most widely spoken language in Africa. It is also an everyday part of some East African countries, including Kenya, Egypt, and Sudan. Nearly 40% of Ethiopians speak Oromo rather than Amharic, the dominant lingua franca. It is also officially used in schools and offices throughout the Oromo ethnic zone.
8. Berber
Number of speakers: Up to 40 million
Millions of people in Maghreb, North Africa, speak Berber. Maghreb is specific to Moroccans and Algerians, where it has been granted official status. It is also spoken in Mali, Libya, Burkina Faso, and northern Niger. Berber is divided into three main varieties: northern, southern, and eastern, which are distinguished by their tone and grammar.
Arabic accounts for up to 46% of its terms, with Latin becoming increasingly influential over time. Until the 1990s, Berber was mainly spoken and less written. Its recognition grew significantly after the Latin alphabet was introduced to improve its early written form.
9. Fulani
Number of speakers: Over 36 million
Fula, also known as Fulani, is the native speech of Niger and is also used in Nigeria, Sudan, and Gabon. It is perceived as the most widely spoken language in Africa, with no significant change in coverage.
Fulani enjoyed its first written form in the late 1990s. The earlier attempt to document it in Arabic script was considered unsuccessful. Still, it has a high percentage of Arabic loan words.
10. Igbo
Number of speakers: Over 31 million
Igbo is the language in southeastern Nigeria. Like Hausa and Yoruba, it is the native language of the Igbo culture in more than seven states. It is also spoken in five other countries: Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.
In the 1900s, Igbo saw a period of strong growth. Many texts were written in its various dialects, but the version used in Bible translation quickly became the most widely accepted, called Standard Igbo.
What are the other popular languages in Africa?
Some languages are a solid part of national values and culture. However, they are either less spoken of beyond their origin or sparsely populated.
11. Amharic
Number of speakers: up to 31 million
Amharic is Ethiopia’s primary tongue and one of the popular African languages. While it originally belonged to the Amharic people, other ethnic groups in Ethiopia use it as a second means of expression. Its official status helps explain the large number of people who speak it.
According to observations, Amharic may have evolved by blending different native wordings to make them simpler to understand. As a result, its origin may have a pidgin heritage. Over time, Amharic grew into a well-developed written system, and in 2003, the African Union recognised it.
12. Zulu
Number of speakers: Over 28 million
Zulu, one of South Africa’s 11 working languages, was documented by European missionaries in the mid-1800s. It is spoken by up to 50% of the South African population and is the first language of Lesotho.
The language does not use articles, but rather a large number of personal pronouns. Zulu is an integral part of South African culture and is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa.
13. Portuguese
Number of speakers: Over 15 million
During the colonial times, the Portuguese Empire established its native languages in six southern and western African countries. As a result, today, Portuguese is the official language of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as Equatorial Guinea. Angola is the leading Portuguese-speaking nation in Africa, with more than 7.5 million speakers.
14. Somali
Number of speakers: Over 21 million
The Somali language is spoken by the people of Somalia, parts of Ethiopia, and Djibouti. It is not officially recognised in Djibouti, but is used as a lingua franca in national settings.
15 Wolof
Number of speakers: About 18 million
Wolof is spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and the adjacent regions, including Mauritania. More than 40 per cent of Senegalese and 25 per cent of Gambians can speak Wolof. The language has also influenced certain English words, including Banana and Boubou.
Conclusion
The speech survey in Africa reveals a significant difference across borders. This result also demonstrates their rich cultures and history. Many regions are multilingual. This implies that the typical African can have more than one language, and finding someone who speaks one of the popular African languages can be relatively straightforward.
Frequently asked questions
1. How many languages are in Africa
While estimates range from 1,400 to 3,000, the international standard for language division across Africa is 2,169. The number includes non-native and extinct ones with evidence of their existence.
2. How many languages are spoken in Tanzania
There are 126 spoken languages in Tanzania. The three primary ones are Swahili, English and French. Swahili is more widely spoken than English, while French is primarily spoken among city dwellers.
3. Is English or French spoken more in Africa?
There are 24 English-speaking countries (Anglophone) in Africa, compared to 21 French-speaking countries (Francophone). Although there are 29 French-speaking countries on the continent, more people speak English than French.
4. What are the top 3 African languages?
English is the most widely spoken language in Africa, followed by Swahili and Arabic. While Swahili originates from the continent, the other two are used as second tongues, spanning from southern to northern regions.
