10 Most Spoken Languages in Africa With a total population of 1.1 billion people, Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent. As a result, it is not surprising that the total number of languages spoken in Africa is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,100 with some counting over 3,000. Afro-agiatric languages cover Northern Africa, Central Sahara, and the Horn of Africa. Nilo-Saharian languages cover Central and Eastern Africa. Majakongo languages cover Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa. And Coison languages cover the western part of Southern Africa. Africa has a diverse culture. Despite the fact that all languages are important and beautiful, the popularity varies. There are 10 languages that are more widely spoken on the continent than the other languages. Stay with us to find out. Please take a few seconds to subscribe to Africa Reloaded as we move right along. 10. Amharic This is Africa's 10th most widely spoken language. After Arabic, it is the continent's second most spoken Semitic language. It is the official language of Ethiopia, with over 25 million native speakers and is spoken by approximately 3 million immigrants. Amharic is one of the few African languages that has its own alphabet, whereas most others use Arabic or Latin letters. The Amharic language is also linked to the Rastafarian movement, which is popular in the Caribbean. Many Rastafarians learn Amharic as a second language because they regard it as a sacred language. 9. Zulu The Zulus are considered one of South Africa's oldest ethnic groups. The Zulus were originally nomadic people who roamed the territory that would become known as the Zulu Kingdom. Then migration was caused by the rise of the Kosoah people, the area's original inhabitants. The Chosa also brought with them their own traditional culture to the Zulus. Zulu is the Zulu people's most widely spoken language and is very similar to their native tongue. This language is spoken by over 28 million people, the majority of whom are from Lissofo, Malawi, Botswana and Mozambique. 8. Oromo Over 30 million people in the Horn of Africa speak Oromo, primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Egypt. The Oromo people make up more than 40% of Ethiopia's population and are the country's largest ethnic group. Under the Mingjist Urujim, writing the language was prohibited between 1974 and 1991, though limited use of the G-script was permitted. The Latin alphabet was adopted after 1991. It belongs to the offrociatic language family's Kashitic branch, to greet someone in Oromo, say, Akum. 7. Iggbo This is the language of the Iggbo people of Nigeria, one of Africa's largest ethnic groups. However, it has official recognition in equatorial Guinea, where it is recognized as a regional language. Some villages in Cameroon also speaks it. It is spoken by about 27 million people. The language has over 20 dialects, the most common of which is central Iggbo. Because English is the primary literary language taught in Nigerian schools, most Iggbo speakers are said to be bilingual. Chinua Atchebe, author of Things for a Part, and whose majority of books were written in Iggbo, helped popularize the language. 6. Yoruba Yoruba is a major language in Nigeria and is also spoken in other West African countries. Other West African countries with significant Yoruba populations include Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. It is a tunnel language with three tones that is written in the Panagirian alphabet, a variant of the Latin alphabet. It is spoken as a first or second language by approximately 39 million people. 5. Horser The Horser language is the fifth most spoken language on the African continent. It is classified as a member of the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asian language family. In Africa, the Horser language is spoken by over 63 million people. The majority of Horser speakers live in Northern Nigeria and the Republic of Niger in the South. The language is also widely spoken in Benin Republic, Bikina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, and Chad. The language evolved from a dialect spoken in Cano-Bemagiria, where the majority of Horser speakers live. Furthermore, because of its extensive literature, it is one of the few African languages taught in international universities. In Nigeria, Horser is the most widely spoken first language. 4. Swahili Also known as Kiswahili is the continent's fourth most widely spoken language. This is a band-to-language spoken by the Swahili people of East Africa as their first language. There are more than 100 million Swahili speakers in Africa, but only about 15 million speak it as their first language. Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo all have Kiswahili as their national language. The Swahili language originated along Kenya's and Tanzania's coasts. A large portion of Swahili vocabulary is derived from the Arabic language. Many African countries recognize and speak the language, including Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Wanda, and Burundi, Somalia, and the Camaro Islands. 3. French This is a European language that was brought to Africa as a result of colonization. Around 115 million Africans speak the language as a first or second language. The language which originated in France is primarily spoken in former French colonies in West and Central Africa. In Africa, French is frequently spoken alongside indigenous languages, but in some areas such as Abbajone, Ivory Coast, and Libraville, Gabon, it has become a first language. Togo, Senegal, Sea Chels, Wanda, Reunion, Niger, Mali, Madagascar, Guinea, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Camaroan, Congo, DRC, Algeria, Chad, Baquina Faso, Benin, and Burundi are among the African countries that speak French. 2. Arabic Based on the number of people who speak the language, Arabic is the second most widely spoken language in Africa. However, the language is primarily spoken in North Africa and parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that more than 150 million people in Africa speak Arabic as their first language, making it the most widely spoken language on the continent. Arabic is available in a variety of favors. Colloquial dialects and modern standard Arabic, modern standard Arabic is a more formal form of Arabic that is used in news articles, novels, newscasts, and some TV shows. Native speakers, on the other hand, do not always learn this form of Arabic. 1. English The most widely spoken language on the continent is English. Only about 65 million Africans speak English as their first language, but when second language learners are included, the number of English speakers rises to around 130 million. The language which originated in England in the United Kingdom was introduced to Africa during the British colonization of Africa. Many former British colonies have made English their official language of government, business, and education. Despite the fact that they are not former British colonies, many other countries have plans in place to adopt English. Rwanda for example, a former French colony is rapidly encouraging its citizens to learn and speak English as the country integrates itself into the East African community. Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Amibia, Nigeria, Sinhalina, Sea Chels, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Suaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all speak English. Many languages are spoken in Africa, and the countries with the most languages have the most diverse cultures and histories. While English remains the most widely spoken language, many other languages such as Swahili, Arabic, and Portuguese are becoming more common. What are your thoughts on our video of Africa's 10 most spoken languages? Make a comment about it. Please like and subscribe to the channel.