In this series of articles we overview languages present in any given country. This time we are looking at the languages spoken in Botswana
The biggest languages present in Botswana include:
- English – 611 thousand speakers
- Setswana – 1.83 million speakers
- Kalanga – 118 thousand speakers
- Sekgalagadi – 71 thousand speakers
- Shona – 47 thousand speakers
- Mbukshu – 24 thousand speakers
- Ndebele – 24 thousand speakers
- Tshwa – 24 thousand speakers
The following languages are legally recognized as the “official languages” of the country:
- English
- Setswana
Below you will find summaries for the languages supported by our translation services.
English
English is a Germanic language, which is a branch of the Indo-European language family. It is one of the official languages of Botswana, alongside 2 other.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 1.15 billion |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | English alphabet |
| Major English-speaking populations in: | 35 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
There are major English-speaking populations in more than 30 countries of the world. Italian, Pakistani, and Russian markets, for example, might be expected to use English in business and daily communications, at least to some extent.
Less than 50% of the population speaks English on a daily basis, but the number of speakers is still significant for the country – around 611 thousand.
Writing
The English alphabet is used for writing the English language. It employs the standard version of the script with no additional, language-specific symbols.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Botswanian market via the English language, you might be interested in the following services:
Related services
We hope you have found the answers to the question about what languages are spoken in Botswana“. If you wish to know more about these languages or would like to inquire about our translation services, please contact us at [email protected].
