South Africa is a massive country with a rich mix of cultures and twelve official languages.

Afrikaans is one of the most widely spoken and geographically spread languages in the nation.

Learning some basic Afrikaans will completely transform your upcoming travel experience.

Locals deeply appreciate it when visitors make an effort to speak their language.

It also makes reading road signs, menus, and local maps much easier.

Here’s exactly where you should start if you want to learn Afrikaans before your trip.

Why Afrikaans is useful for travelers

English is common in major tourist hubs like Cape Town and Johannesburg.

However, Afrikaans is the dominant language in many beautiful regions like the Western Cape and the Northern Cape.

If you plan on doing a scenic road trip along the Garden Route, you’ll hear Afrikaans everywhere.

It’s the everyday language for millions of South Africans across different racial and cultural backgrounds.

Speaking just a few words immediately breaks the ice and helps you make friends.

It also helps you navigate because many historic street names and coastal towns are in Afrikaans.

Essential travel phrases to learn first

You don’t need to speak perfectly to communicate with locals.

Start by memorizing a few basic greetings and polite expressions.

Here are the most common phrases you’ll use every day on your trip.

The word lekker is incredibly popular, and you can use it to describe good food, nice weather, or a fun time.

The best resources to start learning

Finding good materials for Afrikaans can be challenging compared to bigger languages like Spanish or French.

Fortunately, there are a few excellent platforms that will get you ready for your trip.

Talk in Afrikaans

Talk In Afrikaans is the absolute best place to start your learning journey.

We created this platform specifically to help you speak and understand real, everyday Afrikaans.

You’ll learn from native speakers and get comfortable with the actual pronunciation used in South Africa.

It gives you the exact vocabulary you need to order food, book accommodation, and chat with locals.

iTalki

If you want to practice your conversation skills before you fly, iTalki is a great tool.

You can book one-on-one online lessons with native South African tutors.

Practicing with a real person builds your confidence quickly.

Drops

Drops is a fun mobile app for picking up basic vocabulary.

It uses gamified lessons to teach you words without overwhelming you with grammar.

It’s perfect for five-minute daily study sessions while you wait in line or commute.

Here’s a quick summary of the best tools to use for your preparation.

Quick tips for your language preparation

Start by focusing purely on your pronunciation and listening skills.

Afrikaans uses a lot of unique vowel sounds and rolled R’s that take time to get used to.

Don’t worry about perfect grammar when you’re just visiting for a holiday.

South Africans are incredibly friendly and will be thrilled just to hear you trying.

Consistency is the most important part of your preparation.

Spend just fifteen minutes a day engaging with the language before your flight.