LubaKasai

LubaKasai is a term used for the Luba-Kasai people and their language in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Luba-Kasai, also called Tshiluba, Kiluba, or Kiluba-Chiluba, is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger-Congo family.

Estimates place speakers in the low millions, mainly in the Kasai region and among diaspora communities. Different dialects exist; standard orthography uses the Latin alphabet with diacritics, and there is a standard writing system used in dictionaries and school materials.

Within the DR Congo, Tshiluba is one of the four national languages, used in local administration and media alongside Lingala, Swahili, and Kikongo; French remains the official language.

Historically, the Luba people built influential polities in Central Africa, with the Luba Kingdoms shaping regional trade, art, and governance. Today, Luba-Kasai remains a central element of cultural identity for speakers.