Tswana is the sixth most widely-spoken first-language in South Africa - that of approximately 8.2% of the total population, a percentage equivalent to those who speak English as a first language.

AFRICAN VOICES TSWANA PRODUCTS

• AUDIO PHRASE CD
  • Everyday Tswana Phrases

TSWANA POPULATION, HISTORY AND INFORMATION

Population and Geography
Tswana is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is a national language in Botswana. There are 3,677,016 (8.2 %) first language speakers [2001 census data] in South Africa, an estimated 1,070,000 speakers in Botswana, and an estimated 30,000 speakers in Namibia.

Tswana is most closely related to two other languages in the Sotho language group, Southern Sotho (SeSotho) and Northern Sotho (Sesotho sa Leboa).

History
Historically Tswana is the Sotho dialect of the people settled in the upper valley of the Limpopo. That settlement dates from more than four centuries ago. Tswana speakers went westwards in the 18th and 19th centuries until their territory included the south-eastern part of modern Botswana. Colonial boundaries split western Transvaal, north eastern Cape Colony (briefly 'British Bechuanaland') and a third division whose chiefs petitioned the British Government for direct rule. This became the British 'protectorate' of Bechuanaland and is now independent Botswana.

Further Reading
Vanishing Cultures of South Africa, Peter Magubane - (see chapter The Tswana p.116-123), Struik Publishers (Pty) Ltd, 1998

Tswana Dictionaries
Tswana-English-Afrikaans, J.C. le Roux, Published by A.D. Donker, 1991

Famous Tswana Speakers
Sol Plaatje