Siswati

siSwati, also written as Swati or Swazi, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni subgroup. It is the language of the Swazi people and is closely related to other Nguni languages such as Zulu and Xhosa. The language is primarily spoken in Eswatini (Swaziland) and by Swazi communities in parts of neighboring South Africa.

Geographic distribution and status

siSwati is an official language of Eswatini, used in government, education, media, and daily communication alongside English. It is also spoken by Swazi communities in South Africa, especially in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, and by diaspora communities elsewhere. Estimates of speakers place the language in the low millions, with most speakers concentrated in Eswatini and adjacent South African regions.

Linguistic features

siSwati is a tonal language with a noun class system typical of Bantu languages. Noun prefixes determine agreement on verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. The language follows a subject–verb–object word order in simple sentences, and verb morphology marks tense, aspect, mood, and negation. Writing is based on a Latin-based alphabet, and a standardized orthography is used in education and official communication.

Writing and standardization

A standardized form of siSwati is taught in schools and employed in government and media. Literacy materials, dictionaries, and instructional resources support literacy and literacy‑driven media in siSwati. The language continues to be used in traditional ceremonies, everyday conversation, and increasingly in digital and broadcast formats.

See also

Nguni languages, Eswatini, African linguistics.