There are 11 official languages spoken in South Africa: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu. These languages reflect the diverse population and history of the country. English is the most widely spoken language and is used as a lingua franca, especially in business and government. Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, is also widely spoken, particularly among the white population.