The primary language spoken in South Africa is Afrikaans, though the country recognizes 11 official languages. Afrikaans, derived from Dutch, has roots in the colonial period and evolved into a language used predominantly by the white Afrikaner population. However, South Africa is linguistically diverse, with English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, and other indigenous languages also being widely spoken. English serves as a common lingua franca in business and education. This linguistic landscape reflects the rich cultural mosaic of South Africa, where multiple ethnic groups and languages coexist.