Firstly, South Africa has 11 official languages, 10 of which are spoken (these include what Westerners call ‘click languages), so we have many accents here. … So both these languages have especially guttural phonemes. To the English ear, the inflections and phonemes of Afrikaans sound difficult.
Why do South Africans have such a weird accent?
The accent of Anglophone coloured people is influenced by their multiracial background, being descended from Europeans (British, German, and Afrikaners), blacks (Zulu and Xhosa), Indians (both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan) as well as other mixed people like St. Helenians, Mauritian Creoles and some Griquas.
Is the South African accent attractive?
What makes the accent so sexy: Mainly, it is the sheer diversity and the fact that when the people talk it can be so melodic. South Africans are also people who like to enjoy life and often have a smile on their face. Happy people equals happy and sexy accents.
What makes a South African accent?
However, the South African accent has some phonetic features that distinguish it from British English. Most notably, the letter A is often pronounced as an “eh” sound. Thus, for many South African English speakers, the name of their country, South Africa, would be pronounced more like “South Efrica”!
Does South Africa use UK or US English?
South African English
In general, the English spoken in Africa is more related to British English than American English. Over the centuries some words from native and other languages also became part of the South African English vocabulary.
Is Afrikaans Dutch?
As an estimated 90 to 95% of Afrikaans vocabulary is ultimately of Dutch origin, there are few lexical differences between the two languages; however, Afrikaans has a considerably more regular morphology, grammar, and spelling.
Which English is used in South Africa?
SAE has become a particular regional version of English, firmly rooted in South Africa by the influence of the languages surrounding it. South Africans are often unaware of just how different SAE is from other Englishes in both vocabulary and pronunciation.
Can you speak English in South Africa?
English In South Africa
Chances are that in most major urban areas, like Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg, you’ll regularly run into people who speak English. But it is only spoken by about 10 percent of the population natively at home, or about 5 million people.
What percentage of South Africa is white?
According to Statistics South Africa, white South Africans make up 8.9% (Census 2011) of the total population in South Africa.
What is South Africa known for?
South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favoured destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid (Afrikaans: “apartness,” or racial separation) in 1994.
What is the dominant religion in Southern Africa?
Christianity is the dominant religion in South Africa, with almost 80% of the population in 2001 professing to be Christian.
Who colonized South Africa?
Increased European encroachment ultimately led to the colonisation and occupation of South Africa by the Dutch. The Cape Colony remained under Dutch rule until 1795 before it fell to the British Crown, before reverting back to Dutch Rule in 1803 and again to British occupation in 1806.
What is a Nigerian accent?
Nigerian English, also known as Nigerian Standard English, is a dialect of English spoken in Nigeria. … Nigerian Pidgin, a pidgin derived from English, is mostly used in informal conversations, but the Nigerian Standard English is used in politics, formal education, the media, and other official uses.