Penn Language Center

Zulu, known by native speakers as IsiZulu, is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. It is a member of the Nguni language group. Zulu speakers can invariably understand other Nguni languages, which include Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele. With 8.3 million speakers in South Africa, Zulu remains the most-spoken language. It is also used in Malawi, southern Swaziland, and Lesotho. In KwaZulu-Natal, the largest province in South Africa, Zulu is the dominant language. Zulu is also the most commonly spoken language in the southeastern parts of Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces, as well as in the northeastern part of the Orange Free State. As the policy of apartheid was dissolved in 1994 and foreign sanctions on South Africa were lifted, knowledge of Zulu has become more important for international communities with business and political interests in this part of the world.

Source: National African Language Resource Center's brochure