ABSTRACT
South Africa – like many others on the continent – is a multilingual country. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) declares 11 languages as official, granting 9 previously marginalised indigenous languages “parity of esteem” alongside English and Afrikaans. However, as far as international visitors and the majority of middle-class citizens are concerned, English is the lingua franca and the language of prestige in South Africa.
