As languages continue to suffocate under the weight of the English language’s hegemonic rule, isiZulu is enjoying some fresh air as it continues to permeate entertainment spaces. With over 13 million mother-tongue speakers, IsiZulu is one of 11 official languages in the multicultural country that is South Africa. Despite it being the language of the Zulu nation, not only is this tonal and gender-neutral language one of the most widely spoken languages in South Africa understood by more than 50% of the population, according to Ethnologue, it is also the third most widely spoken Bantu language after Swahili and Lingala respectively.

This is partly due to the mutual intelligibility of Nguni languages; speakers of Nguni languages, such as IsiZulu, isiSwati, isiXhosa, and isiNdebele have an easier time understanding each other's languages because of the inherent similarities found within their linguistic structures. The Zulu nation of today owes its numbers to various clans who united under the rulership of King Shaka Zulu in the region now known as KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Zulu pride

Thanks to globalisation and colonisation, hundreds of African languages are at risk of extinction, with several already down to a few 100 speakers. Irrespective of its status as a South African Lingua Franca, isiZulu is not spared from the risk of death. Pre-1994, the official languages in the country were English, Dutch, and Afrikaans. Even though the languages of the indigenous people have been officially recognised, English is still largely used as the medium of instruction in schools and is the main language used in media.

This affects linguistic proficiency as well as individual/societal attitudes toward indigenous languages. If a language is not used in important spaces, such as government and educational institutions, the speakers may abandon it in favour of a language that guarantees social advancement. It is already a concern amongst many South Africans that indigenous children cannot or do not speak their mother tongues much even among themselves.

Fortunately, once the risk of language death has been identified, efforts can be made towards averting it. Sociolinguists’ solution to this challenge is language maintenance: being intentional about using a language so that it may maintain relevance. Languages die when they lose relevance but survive when communities actively value and integrate them into their identities and systems. As a matter of fact, a language that boasts high ethnolinguistic vitality has a high chance of survival. Parents have begun implementing measures in their own homes to help their children, like setting rules for which language(s) can be used in the home.

Ethnolinguistic vitality refers to when people prioritise group membership, cultural identity, or community belonging over upward mobility. As many are already aware, especially X (formerly Twitter) users, South Africans are an incredibly proud bunch and they show it through their language usage (many can attest to feeling left out of the joke when South Africans start multilingually commenting on a post).

The Zulu people are especially proud, maybe even a bit arrogant, about their language. More than a handful of locals can testify about their awfully awkward experiences with taxi drivers who refuse to listen or speak any other language other than isiZulu. Collective pride is an important feature of a language’s survival, nevertheless, other efforts are needed to assist with language maintenance, such as community efforts, institutional support (government, education, media), and use in daily life.

IsiZulu as a linguistic export

Aside from our diamond, metal, sugar, and many other exports, South Africa has been exporting isiZulu for several years:

  • The 1994 film, The Lion King, features several phrases in isiZulu, such as “Nans’ ingonyama bakithi baba” which translates to “Here comes the king, father”.

  • In 2004, South Africa presented the Oscar-nominated film, Yesterday, to the world. It was the first full-length feature film in isiZulu.

  • In episode 16, season 5 of the 2016 dramedy, Lucifer, Mazikeen uses the Zulu phrase “Babulale bonke” which means “Kill them all” to lead the demons into battle. Mazikeen is played by South African actress, Lesley-Ann Brandt.

  • The 2019 global hit, 'Jerusalema', by South African artists Master KG and Nomcebo has lyrics in isiZulu.

  • Last year, 2023, the world was introduced to the South African hitmaker, Tyla who uses many South Africanisms in her speech and in her music. The most notable being the two expressions of amazement, “yoh”, and “haibo” which can be heard in one of her latest songs ‘Jump’ which features Gunna and Skillibeng.

  • Tyla is but one example of the many South African Amapiano artists making moves worldwide, thus transporting our South African languages. The name ‘amapiano’ contains the Zulu plural prefix ‘ama’. Amapiano can be loosely translated as “piano keys”. Although Amapiano songs come in many languages, many of them contain Zulu phrases such as, “Utshwala bami” which loosely translates to “my alcohol”.

  • Netflix South Africa has produced many movies and series where the characters speak isiZulu, like Blood and Water. These shows are not exclusively aired in South Africa—the world gets to enjoy them too.

As a South African linguist and mom, I could not be more thrilled at these developments. The only way to preserve our languages is to use and teach them to others. Our children deserve to see and hear representations of themselves in global media. This is what fosters a sense of pride. I hope this article has inspired all non-Africans to learn an African language other than Swahili.

For all the tourists and migrants setting their sights on South Africa, please pack in your luggage the intention to learn a South African language. Don’t be like Emily in Paris—learn the language of the locals. At least in South Africa, you are spoilt for choice.